("Rattlesnake" by Sacha James Collisson plays) - [Announcer] After nine years away, Patrick Dempsey's returning to racing at the Circuit of the Americas. And all eyes are on him as he takes the wheel of the #98, Wright Motorsports Porsche Cayman, GT4. - The great thing about racing for me, it's improving me as a human being and as a sportsman.
It's all come back around again. I think I'm coming at it with a different perspective. And it's been God, you know, 2015 and here we are, 20.
. . 24.
- [Announcer] Brilliant performance by the team and by Patrick Dempsey. A place on the podium at Le Mans. - [Reporter] Yeah, Patrick's put a lot of himself into this effort to race at the highest levels.
- I stayed away from it for a really, really long time. I wouldn't get near a car. And then it was through the "Ferrari" movie and doing all the pretesting for that that I woke up and I was like, oh God, I forgot how much I missed the camaraderie and the fellowship and the guys, and the team effort and everything.
We had a program last year where we ran the Carrera Panamericana with the GT4 and I was like, I better get some testing in. And I was just really, really nervous. And then when I finally got, I think the second day something popped.
The brain chemistry changed. I was like, whoa, I forgot this whole side of my nature. It was sort of this epiphany where I was like, wow, I have to do this again.
There's a wonderful Japanese word for having one event every year that you focus on that gives you meaning or challenges you. Misogi is really important. If you were gonna die today, did you get the most out of the day?
That's what it's about. And you gotta let it flow. It's all part of the rhythm of the track.
(gentle music) (gentle music builds) - [Patrick Long] This one is like a straight line brake and then it's like hold on and go. - The hardest part of Le Mans was not so much the physical driving, it was the mental. It was the amount of pressure that was on us.
And they're waiting for you to make a mistake and that's what they're gonna focus on. How do you develop the tools in order to stay calm in those situations? So when you get into the car, that's when you feel where you're safe, where you're calm because that would set the tone for me being present in the car.
- There's a toolbox of a driver for any athlete's game. There's a subconscious experience of shooting the ball over and over again. And then there's the conscious mental game of how you apply your emotions and your processing in the moment.
And racing is very much a physical and mental game of adaptation. - [Patrick Dempsey] Patrick Long is one of the greatest American sports car racers that has ever raced abroad. He was one of that first group that really went over there and committed to being in Europe committed to the mentality that the Germans like when it comes to racing a Porsche.
Understanding the pressure, he's strong when he needs to be. He's compassionate when he needs to be. He's nurturing when he needs to be so as a coach, he's just the absolute best.
You couldn't ask for anybody better. - To have Patrick Dempsey and Patrick Long in the Porsche Endurance Challenge North America is very special for us. Their history goes back all the way to 2015 when they raced Le Mans together.
It's super cool because they've both come back from retirement. And to have them here together is super special for us. - It's waves of emotion.
You remember the past. There's the anxiety of performance. Hey, do you still have it?
Do I remember what to do? All that nervous energy. And the big thing for me was keeping the emotion going and the flow of the emotion.
I started to get really tight and really nervous thinking too much about the start and all of the issues that could go wrong. And I was like, okay, let me go back to kind of doing a meditation letting that calm me down. (upbeat music) - Patrick and I had a great stint together back in 2013 and then 2014 as full-time teammates.
He's such a great guy and a good friend over all these years which happens with teammates. When I found out he was in the series, I texted him immediately and we talked and it's exciting to have him here. And he's got that big smile and those wide eyes because he's excited to be racing again.
- What I like about this series and I think is something that's important is, when you have the AM and you have the pro driver and you have your coach, they're the master and you're sort of the disciple or the the apprentice. And I think that's the beautiful thing about Porsche is they keep their older drivers and they help develop the younger drivers because these are useful tools that we need to take with us into our daily life, into our workplace, and into our home. And that's what sport and racing really teaches me.
It's like a university on how to live life. - All right, PD, remember this is the first race of the season but we're using this as practice for the endurance here to make sure we're smart and safe and stay out of trouble. (engine revving) (dramatic music) - [Announcer] Any concerns about Dempsey's competitive edge are quickly answered as he almost trades paint with Tillman Schmid.
This is what we were looking for out of Dempsey. How does he handle pressure fighting for position in the pack? - All my preparation has really paid off now.
I felt strong physically which didn't affect me mentally so I wasn't making mental mistakes. And I could see the other drivers over driving. And then just hitting my marks making sure that all the stuff that we've worked on in the simulator, all the experiences I've had in the past, they'd sort of flash in my mind's eye.
- Checker flag, checker flag. P5 in class. Nice work.
Nice work. - [Patrick Dempsey] Did you go to sleep right away or were you wound up? - [Patrick Long] No, I've been good.
I even had my chill session in the afternoon. - [Patrick Dempsey] What time's the race itself? - [Patrick Long] 2.
- [Patrick Dempsey] 96 so it's a slightly, slightly cooler day. - [Patrick Long] So it's gonna suck about just as much. - [Patrick Dempsey] All right, here we go.
Enjoy. I did my "Watermelon Sugar" high. (claps) - [Team member] Oh you did?
(claps) (dramatic music) (breathes in) (exhales) (dramatic music continues) - Okay, let's be ready here. (engine revving) - [Announcer] We're on board with Patrick Dempsey. He's taking the opening stint.
- [Patrick Dempsey] Once I got in the car, I gotta find a way to just relax, be present, breathe, calm down. (engine revving) - [Bobby] Okay buddy, we're in our proper position now. - [Patrick Dempsey] Texas was all about getting used to being in the car.
And the Sprint race was getting an evaluation of where I was at physically, mentally, and where my pace was. (engines revving) It was just carnage at the very beginning. - [Announcer] Wow, look already a huge accident and the elbows are out early.
And Dempsey escapes unscathed. - [Bobby] We had a no start for us. We should start 6th in single file on the restart.
- [Patrick Dempsey] And then a bunch of people passed me, then we had to get back in line again. I was frustrated 'cause I gave up a lot of positions where I didn't need to. - Green, green, green, green, green.
(dramatic music) (engines revving) Two to go, guys. Two to go. No pit.
- [Patrick Dempsey] Copy that. - [Bobby] We've lost a couple spots in the mix here. - [Announcer] Patrick Dempsey comes in for the driver change with 35 minutes left and he saves time by doing it under the yellow.
It's all in Pat Long's hands now. He will take the car to the finish. (dramatic music) - That was a shitty spin.
At least we didn't wreck it. - [Bobby] Long way to go here, buddy. Long way to go.
- I'm mad at myself for not doing a better job. Qualifying was a win, right? So if we can do better than qualifying.
Do we have a chance to get back up on the podium with him driving? But you know, then he gets all fiery and we'll see what he does. (chuckles) But you know that's racing.
What're you gonna do? - Getting into the car, it was like putting on an old jacket. It was brutally hot.
- [Bobby] All right Pat, you'll leave on your zero. You should get about 11 to 12 laps here. (dramatic music builds) - 77 hasn't pitted, the 87, the 70 just came in.
- [Patrick Dempsey] Patrick is back up to where we started. - [Bobby] We picked up two. We're up to six but these two guys haven't pitted so we're probably 4th.
- Alexandre Premat, he was hammering tongs up my gearbox the entire race. - [Announcer] He's got Alex Premat right under his rear wing and that's a battle for the final step of the podium. (dramatic music) - [Bobby] Nice work there, legend.
Eyes up, go forward. - [Announcer] Pat Long has moved into second place on that lap. (dramatic music builds) - [Bobby] All right, Pat come into the checkered here.
(engines revving) (dramatic music continues) - [Announcer] Patrick Long finishes in second place. - [Bobby] P2, awesome day, everybody. What a job.
P2, great job, Pat. - It was good. Try to stay consistent.
The ego is the enemy. You gotta trust Patrick to do his job and he did it. And I just do my way and that's delivering the part of him to do his role.
And we did that so we're on the podium. (laughs) - If you would've asked me that morning, if I had a chance at a podium, I would've given you a low percentage number. Not bad for three years off the track.
(applause) - Oh, good job, man. Well done really. - [Patrick Long] Hey, I'm still standing.
Those last three laps were more intense than qualifying. I was just aiming for every millimeter. - [Announcer] Patrick Dempsey and Patrick Long.
(applause) Just an amazing return to the cockpit for Patrick Dempsey. To be out of action for so many years is a huge challenge but he was super competitive here this weekend. A very impressive comeback for him.
- Patrick did great at the start. He had some aggressive passes and he kept his nose clean. We had a flawless pit stop and then it was just about putting our head down.
The track position wasn't kind to us so we had some work to do. And I don't think I've passed that many cars in the last three years of my professional career. - It's great.
It was a good day. The team did a great job. We gotta thank everybody.
Mobil 1 giving us the opportunity, Hagerty, of course TAG, and then John Wright and the boys. Everybody did a great job. And the car's in great shape so we don't have to spend any money fixing it so I'm so grateful for that.
I want to thank our families for letting us get back in the car. That's the big thing. (triumphant music) - [Announcer] A big (audio muffles).
Six cars collected as they come to the green flag. - Whoa, whoa. Go left, go left, go left, go left.
