Peter Dempsey, a contender for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s LMGT3 crown, worries that he could be forced back onto the sidelines next season after a year that many described as extraordinary and which saw him elevated to FIA Silver status.
Once a bright prospect on the junior single-seater route in the 2010s, the Irishman progressed to Indy Lights but stalled at the brink of top-tier racing, eventually stepping away from competing at the highest level since 2013 and moving into management roles instead.
Yet, turning 40 this year and after chats with fellow Irishman Charlie Eastwood, Dempsey secured a return to the World Endurance Championship grid for a surprising comeback in TF Sport’s Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, sharing the drive with Eastwood and Salih Yoluc after previously being classified as Bronze.
Even though the Imola season opener ended with a retirement, the trio still sit within mathematical reach of the title heading into the Monza finale, 22 points adrift of their TF Sport teammate Jonny Edgar.
Beyond the WEC return, Dempsey’s comeback also brought him the Bronze Sprint Cup in the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, following an additional program with Ziggo Sport Tempesta Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo. He claimed victory in the Am class at the Desder Indianapolis 8 Hour in a Mad Joker Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, and he plans to take part in the Asian Le Mans Series this winter.
When asked whether he anticipated such a successful season—one that even included an LMGT3 win at the Brazil round of the WEC—Dempsey told Sportscar365 that he is driven by ambition and has faith in his capabilities, which helped him to enjoy a strong campaign.
“I’ve had plenty of remarkable chances to try different things and still remain in the LMGT3 title fight, especially after a difficult Imola DNF,” he explained. “Coming back to win, standing on the podium, and scoring points across most of the rounds—except for two—has been phenomenal, and I’m genuinely delighted with that progress.”
“I never imagined I would get another chance to race, let alone do it alongside Charlie, whom I’ve known nearly my entire life.”
“Winning at a circuit like Interlagos in Brazil, a place I’ve always admired as Ayrton Senna’s home country, was unbelievable and it fulfilled a lot of personal goals I never thought I’d reach.”
Nevertheless, Dempsey conceded that the comeback could be a short-lived chapter, noting that he is “not the fastest Silver driver around” and that his long-term future remains uncertain.
“If a meaningful opportunity arises, I would definitely take it—I’d love to return to Le Mans,” he continued when asked about the possibility for next year.
“I’ve gained a year of experience and performed reasonably well there, so Le Mans could be on the cards, but I’m not pinning my hopes on it.”
“Having my wife and kids at most of the races and returning to top-level competition has been more than I expected, and I’ve cherished every moment of it.”
Dempsey viewed the GTWC Europe class title as an “extra bonus” arising from his return to racing.
“Winning the championship wasn’t easy,” he admitted, “as I had to adapt to a new championship, a new car, and a new team—the first events were a real learning curve.”
“Until I had a handle on it, it wasn’t solely about the car but the racing style in GT World Challenge Europe and how different it is from the WEC.”
“Once I got the hang of it, I really enjoyed the experience, and we closed out the campaign with four consecutive wins in our class, which was a nice way to end the year.”
