‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star comfortable in heat

Associated Press

MILLVILLE, N.J.

He really is the hottest actor around. Most co-stars of a blockbuster movie rocketing toward $800 million in worldwide grosses would rather audition for a Lifetime movie than pull on the hood of their firesuit and go racing on an asphalt track where the temperature reads a scorching 133 degrees.

His day’s worth of stubble, wavy hair, and blue eyes that make women swoon are hidden in the cockpit. Patrick Dempsey is ready to ride, just another driver fighting the heat at New Jersey Motorsports Park; just another driver wanting to earn a podium finish in today’s race.

There’s just one exception:

“You don’t see a lot of A-list movie stars walking around,” said Dempsey Racing teammate James Gue.

In other racing series, like NASCAR, the closest a celebrity gets to the track is to command drivers to start their engines. Dempsey, star of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” proved long ago his love affair with sports-car racing was more than just some frivolous dalliance for a restless, rich actor. It’s his passion — maybe felt more deeply than acting.

Dempsey is the most famous face behind the wheel in theRolex Grand-Am Series American Red Cross 250, even if he’s not the most successful one. But he’s getting there. For the first time, he’s carved enough space in his schedule to compete in all but one Grand-Am event this season. He led laps in the No. 40 in the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona and nabbed his first career podium finish. Dempsey was in tears over his third-place result, validation that all his time and money had earned him the success and respect in the garage that every competitor craves.

“It was definitely the highlight of my career so far, that and racing at Le Mans,” Dempsey said. “It’s so hard to get on the podium for this series.”

Even better, Dempsey and each of his teammates led laps.

“You can’t deny it, either you’re No. 1 or you’re not,” he said, smiling at the recollection.

Dempsey has been at the top of his game in his day job as a primetime star of ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” since 2005. He took a break from Dr. Derek Shepherd and the start of filming season eight to catch a midnight flight, land Friday at 7:45 a.m. and hit the track at 9:20 a.m for practice. Three hours later, he’s stretched out in the back of his transporter, escaping an energy-sapping heat that has the public address announcer directing fans to public showers (yes, really).

“I’m getting used to it now,” Dempsey said. “I’ve been training, so hopefully I’m in good shape.”

Finding time to dedicate to every race has been Dempsey’s biggest obstacle.

He formed Dempsey Racing in 2002 and had his first competitive driving experience in 2004. He made his debut in the GT series in 2007, and ever since has tried to balance the commitment of racing weekends with an active acting career that included movie roles in “Made of Honor,” and “Enchanted.”

Dempsey believes he’s become more proficient at both crafts because of their similar traits.

“You test yourself physically, emotionally and psychologically, too,” Dempsey said. “One helps the other. A lot of the stuff that helped get the job for ‘Transformers’ was because I was racing. I’m starting to gain credibility in both worlds.”