[Eternal Flame]

great pics once again and thnx for the vid.. I'll watch it now

[Eve_]

Paddy's first blog is up !

Patrick Dempsey Wednesday Blog Multifaceted actor and racer Patrick Dempsey files his first exclusive blog for SPEEDtv.com, in advance of taking to Circuit de La Sarthe for the very first time Wednesday evening. This is Sacred Ground My Racing Partner Joe Foster and I flew straight from out 7th place finish at the Watkins Glen to Paris. The race at Watkins Glen had been good, not great. I had my best qualification so far in the Rolex series, qualifying 9th. I started the race, and was running well until I had a small problem with my driver equipment that made me pit early. Unfortunately, right after the stop, the first full course yellow came out and before the end of the first hour we were down 2 laps. We ran the lead pace for the rest of the race, but could never make up any ground. Still, we left Watkins Glen with a 7th, and another top 10 finish for the Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8. We have been in the top 10 every race since the Daytona race, and we just need some luck to get into the top 5. We were met in Paris by Jim Jordan from Mazda, who helps us out at during the Rolex Races. Mazda France has loaned us a Mazda6 for the week, it is great to have partners like Mazda who really love motorsports. We are racing a Ferrari at Le Mans for many good reasons, but Joe and I dream of driving a Rotary Mazda at Le Mans. Jim had been at Le Mans the year before, so as tired as we were, he suggested we drive the public road part of the circuit. The private part of the race track enters the public road at the beginning of the Mulsanne straight, and you can basically drive the track all the way around to the Porsche Curves. The Mulsanne is broken up by two Chicanes on the race track, and two roundabouts to the street cars, but still it is Mulsanne. Joe and I looked at each other, and started laughing. Joe said the words of the week as we make the left at the Indianapolis corner. We are on Sacred Groud. Just being here is so amazing. The city, the circuit, the whole atmosphere around the event is amazing, and I still can't believe at times were are here. Still, it is only Monday and we do not even get onto the track until Wednesday. Tech Tuesday morning we settled in with the team. Our third co-driver for this event, and the man who put this whole thing together, is Don Kitch Jr and Team Seattle. Don has been a friend for a few years now, and was the guy who really put this effort together. This program in most ways is Don's deal and we owe him so much for making this happen. Don has worked so hard to make this all work, and not just for fun. We are generating money for two Children's Hospitals, one in Seattle and one in Paris, and with every lap we will be donating $680+ to these charities. This is Don's passion, and I am so happy to be able to help his cause. Part of the ritual of Le Mans is tech inspection. Tech inspection actually takes place in the shadow of the beautiful old church that is the focal point of Old Town Le Mans. It is open to the public, and it draws a big crowd. It is also where the classicteam pictures are taken, along with interviews with the local media. I had been warned by the team that had been through tech that there were people interested in knowing when our team was coming. It is posted for all to see, but I guess these were fans of my day job, not my racing and had not figured this out yet. We were somewhat prepared, with my brother-in-law Patrick, trainer Jacque, and Mazda Jim to help me with crowds. Still, none of us were prepared for what was about to happen. It was still quiet as I climbed out of the Mazda6, but the crowd around me quickly grew huge. It was a combination of fans with pictures just wanting autographs to pro photographers working hard to get a picture they could sell. It was amazing, and our little group of Patrick, Joe, Jim, Don, Jacque, and me pushed our way through the crowd. Once we made it to the entrance of the actual tech area, the fans were not there anymore but the number of photographers increased. At the same moment, the sky opened up with a strong downpour, and the entire experience was overwhelming. We did manage to make it to the credential office, where we got to regroup a little bit. I ran into several driver friends there, all welcoming and offering advice. The tech experience is part of what makes the whole even special. Why have tech downtown? Because it always has been downtown! It does complicate life for the teams, to have the cars trucked from the track to the town center and back, but again this is Le Mans. This is how it is done at Le Mans. This is why this place is so special. Finally, time to drive One of the nice things about being part of the racing family is that we all help each other. I am very lucky to have a friend like Tracy Krohn, who helped me with a great place to stay here in Le Mans. Tracy has rented a Classic French Chateau outside of town, and Joe, Patrick and I have rooms there sharing it with the Krohn Racing people. The countryside reminds me a little of Maine, and it is so great and so relaxing to get away from it all. It has only been 48 hours, but I am ready to drive. Le Mans also has an interesting schedule since so much of the track is on public roads. The first practice is not until 7 p.m. on Wednesday! The roads stay open as long as possible so we wait all day. I am doing my job of attending press conferences, working to keep sponsors happy, and also mentally prepare for the race. I would not be here with out my new partners El Grado Tequila and it is important to me that they get the coverage they are paying for. Still, I ready to go. Overall, I have been relaxed, happy, but now I want to get in the car ad DRIVE. That is why we are all here. ~Patrick

Great blog !

------------------------------


Pics from the press conference today

[LostInTime]

Yeah! first blog, I love it
thanks for posting and oh how adorable the pics with the bear..

[Eternal Flame]

I love the blog So awesome to be able to read this

[Eve_]

oh how adorable the pics with the bear..

I know right So damn cute ! I have one of those pictures as my background

Here are some more pics




























---> Tonight LIVE qualifying :
19:00 - 21:00 on Eurosport 2
22:00 - 00:00 on Eurosport

(All times CET)

[PatrickDempseyRocks]

I ment to come say I love the blog

I was looking at those pics last Night and in frist one he looks lost in thought
Thanks Eve tho

[Eve_]

Patrick Dempsey Thursday Blog After months of preparation and buildup, Patrick Dempsey and Team Seattle finally hit the track for free practice at Circuit de La Sarthe. There is no “I” in Dempsey, Seattle, or AF Corse One of the interesting dynamics of the week is the melding of three different organizations. As I noted in the last posting, I am a lucky guy, getting to experience and participate at Le Mans thanks to the hard work and vision of Don Kitch and his Team Seattle. Without Don and his organization, I would not be here today. Don is here with his team who works with him and support his activities. Don went out and found a team to run with, and he found one of the best in AF Corse. They have a worldwide reputation for excellence in racing Ferraris, and I can see already it is well deserved. The car is beautiful and brand new. AF Corse has a special family relationship with Ferrari (the F in AF) that allows them to start the cars from a body in white, or bare chassis. Their experience is obvious in the quality of both the build and the preparation. Even better is the attitude of the team. One of the things I am most proud of with my own team in the Grand-Am Rolex series is not only our focus on racing, but having fun at the same time. AF Corse, at least the people assigned to our car, have the exact same attitude. The cars are beautiful, the prep is serious, but when there is a moment of down time, the teasing and fun begins. Even if some of the team doesn’t speak English, and my Italian is limited, we still manage to taunt and tease each other and thankfully I am not sacred either. I feel most at home on the team when they start ripping on me too. We’re all starting to feel at home. The Dempsey Racing group helping me out is just a small part of my team, but unfortunately the race last weekend at Watkins Glen and the race at Mid-Ohio the weekend after the 24 means that the technical part of the team needed to stay home and rebuild the car. Guys, if you are reading this, I am doing all I can to make it possible for all of us to come back here. I miss you guys, and I wish we could all be sharing this. Thanks for all you have done, and again Joe and I keep talking about how much we all need to be here, as Dempsey Racing. The Dempsey Racing group that is here are working well together, making sure all the elements that we can control are under control. Joe is the coach, the leader, and glue. Dr. Jacques is working to keep Joe and my head and body at top form, focused on making sure we get the best results we can. Michael is a set of eyes in the pits and the link between the mechanics, engineers, and drivers. Jim is looking after the team marketing and logistics, while Patrick is providing extra help everywhere he is needed. This is Patrick's first ever race, and so far he seems to be having a great time and I really can't describe how much I enjoy him being here. He is my link to my family, and as much as I love racing and acting, my first and most important jobs are father and husband. I miss Jill and the kids, and Patrick is my link and provides a great calming influence. We have a new member, Adam, who is in charge of PR for the team and his job is a huge challenge. I have been overwhelmed with the coverage our effort is generating here, and poor Adam has to serve as gatekeeper to the media. Thanks bud, welcome to the team! Can you say trial by fire? I made it through the Wednesday press conference, and got in some plugs for our long-term plan. As I said earlier, we are very happy to be part of both Team Seattle and AF Corse. Still, the long term vision is to come back soon with Dempsey Racing at bring the sound of a screaming rotary engine to Le Mans. Several times either Joe or I mentioned this plan, trying not to overshadow the current with our dreams for the future, but still that is our goal. Currently, the rules here do not permit our Rolex Mazda RX-8 to run at Le Mans. I guess a little lobbing with the ACO never hurts, right? The best news about the end of the press conference is that it is almost time to drive. It can't come soon enough. Rain, rain, go away 18:00 finally arrives (OK, 6 p.m. for us Americans, but when in France I am learning quickly that the best approach is to do it the French way!) and cars can take to the track for the first time. Believe it or not, the first practice session is six hours long, all the way until midnight. One of the rules here at Le Mans is that each team member must take at least 10 laps of practice, and also 3 laps of the track at night. Our goal for tonight is to accomplish this. Joe will take the track first, Don second, and I will go last. As Joe strapped in, I swear we all had goosebumps. Here we are at Le Mans, about to take to the track! Track conditions were wet, but the rain that had been falling off and on all day had stopped. It is one of those great moments where the tire choice is not obvious. Too wet for slicks, but should we be on wets? Intermediates? The other big challenge is what was the weather like all around the track. Parts of the track are literally miles away from the pits and the conditions could be totally different. Joe went out, and did his 10 laps on a drying track. At least to start. He finally was going to try to put down a flyer (funny that we are even talking about a flyer after only five laps practice and first time on the track ever, but such is Le Mans) when he was greeted by a wall of rain exiting the second chicane. In the first segment he had been seven seconds faster than the lap before so he was on a good one, but a fast lap was not really the goal anyway. While Don worked on getting in his 10 laps, Joe talked me around the track. He was like a kid with a new toy, talking a million miles an hour, bouncing off the ceiling with joy and excitement. I was so happy for him, but now I needed to get focused. The stomach starts to tighten, but Jacques’ work on the focus and Jim worked on jokes and keeping me loose. Remember that 10 laps at LeMans is a long time, and this was a long long wait. As I got ready to get in, the rain got worse and worse. I actually love racing in the rain. I have gotten pretty good at it too. Of course, I would have preferred my first laps to be in the dry, but that was not to be and I was ready. I just wanted to get out there, to experience the track for the first time. I wish I could write everything that happened, everything I felt, but in some ways it was just a blur. I was having some problems with my downshifts, but overall the car was good. Heading out for the first time on the Mulsanne, the trees on the left, the yellow house, all just like I had seen before in videos. It just hit me so powerfully. I am here. I am at Le Mans. Driving. At Speed. I thought about my Dad for just a second (One of the things about Le Mans is the track is so fast, so long, that the mental aspects of driving and maintaining concentration are much tougher that the physical demands) and wish he were here to share this. I am my father's son when it comes to love of cars and racing, and I feel like he is looking down and me and it make me smile. But as soon as that thought came to mind, a voice inside my head (Dad, you?) brought me back to the task at hand, learning the circuit. Here I was, going 180 mph in the French countryside, in the rain, and night. Life just does not get much better, or much more interesting than this. Talk to you tomorrow! ~Patrick

Amazing blog !
I love the way he talks about his friends and family.
And I love how grateful he is for every single member of the team. They really support him.
I love how happy he was for Joe when he came out of the car.
It was sweet that he thought of the guys back home. And how he wished they were there.
I love how happy he is that his brother-in-law Patrick is there and that he's the link to his family. I love that he mentioned Jill and the kids.
I love how excited he was to race on the track for the first time.
....And I loved how he thought about his dad.

I had tears in my eyes reading this blog, hehe. He's such an amazing guy and it comes through in his writing too


I'm so glad he's having a great time ! Can't wait for the next blog !

[Eternal Flame]

i love the 1st pic.. adorable

[ln1]

Thanks for bringing that over.
and the pictures are very nice as well

I can not wait for the next blog either.

[Eternal Flame]

thanks for the new blog btw

[Eve_]

Video from this morning :
YouTube - Patrick Dempsey aux 24h du Mans

He's so happy ! Like a little boy !

[PatrickDempseyRocks]

love the way he talks about his friends and family. And I love how grateful he is for every single member of the team. They really support him. I love how happy he was for Joe when he came out of the car. It was sweet that he thought of the guys back home. And how he wished they were there. I love how happy he is that his brother-in-law Patrick is there and that he's the link to his family. I love that he mentioned Jill and the kids. I love how excited he was to race on the track for the first time. ....And I loved how he thought about his dad.

I was thinking same things

[LostInTime]

He misses his wife and kids
Now this is coming from a woman who neither wants to get married nor have kids but Holy Crap this guy makes me re consider lol
I think Patrick is doing an awesome job at this blogging thing!
He tells such great stories I almost feel like I am there with him
He really is having the time of his life .
Love how is is so open about not just the racing experience but about how he is feeling about everything right down to his dad.
I am going to miss reading his blogs after this


Thanks so much from posting these for us

[Eve_]

Pics from today during qualifying :

[LostInTime]

Got a little snippet from an article today
here is the link to the entire article but I posted the part about Patrick
Motorsport.com: News channel

Crowd favorite Patrick Dempsey, co-driving with Joe Foster and Don Kitch Jr. in the #81 Team Seattle Advanced Engineering Ferrari F430 GT, had a rough go of it in qualifying. The team was slowest of all cars bar the drivetrain-plagued GT1 JLOC Lamborghini Murcielago, and Dempsey spun off at one point at Indianapolis corner. The good news is the car suffered no damage and should be set to go in a quest to raise as much money as possible for the hospitals and charities it is running here to support.

So glad he or the car were unhurt!
Hope he is having a blast and raises as much as he would like to raise


Here is another one

Dempsey And Team Seattle Qualify Second-to-Last at Le Mans It was a tough day at the office for actor/driver Patrick Dempsey and the Advanced Engineering – Team Seattle crew at Le Mans. In today’s three hours of qualifying sessions, the best that the #81 Ferrari F430 could manage left the team with the 54th starting spot among the 55 entries. The day wasn’t entirely a loss. Their fastest lap was a 4:13.920 which was 51 seconds behind the pole sitting Peugeot 908 which is entered in the LMP1 class. Comparing the Ferrari and Peugeot would be unfair because Dempsey and the #81 team are entered in the GT2 class which is the slowest on the grid while LMP1 cars are the fastest. That’s not meant to cover their performance in class. They were 10.72 seconds off the pace of the GT2 class lead and 3 seconds off the pace of the next fastest car which left them 17th and last among GT2 cars. I’m sure if you’re reading this, you’re interested in how Dempsey ran today. After a fairly good day in the wet yesterday (Dempsey wrote on his blog that he enjoys running in wet conditions), things got off to a shaky start. On his first lap out, he spun at the slow left-hander called Indianapolis. Movie buffs would recall from the movie Le Mans that it was the location where the Ferrari caught air and crashed through the Martini and Rossi sign. More details to be posted as available.

Dempsey And Team Seattle Qualify Second-to-Last at Le Mans The Lowdown Blog