That victory came one year after Thompson tried to enter Ongais into the 1968 Indianapolis 500, but Ongais was denied because he had almost no experience in open-wheel race cars. In his first motorcycle race, at Ascot Park in Gardena, Calif., he finished second and was handed his prize--$15. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. I think weve done a great job of that. He finished runner-up in the Top Fuel class at the 1966 NHRA U.S. Nationals after beating legend Don Prudhomme in the semifinals at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and three years later he clinched the Funny Car class win in the same event. Ongais, racing at age 54 in his first 500 since 1986, finished a creditable seventh after starting from the rear of the field. [2], Ongais was born in Kahului, Hawaii, on May 21, 1942. Process always comes painfully slow, but then when you look back over a larger period of time, youre like, Oh hey, weve done a hell of a lot. . The Arrow McLaren organizational hierarchy was restructured with last years departure of Taylor Kiel (who left to become team manager for Ganassi). Arrow McLaren uses applicant tracking software to determine the best matches on background, education and experience. The Terrifying Crash of Danny "Flyin' Hawaiian" Ongais at the 1981 Indy 500 | How Did He Survive? [8] Later in the season, Interscope Racing set up a partnership between themselves and Patrick Racing giving Patrick March 83C-Cosworth DFXs. How Liberty is "playing long game" to help F1 teams make money, Nigel Mansells greatest F1 and Indycar drives, Nigel Mansells greatest drives Ongais was a man of few words but drove a race car with the right foot of an elephant on the accelerator. Danny Ongais, the Hawaiian driver admired by fans and competitors for his speed and bravery in an Indianapolis 500 career spanning three decades, died Feb. 26 of congestive heart complications in Anaheim Hills, California. I dont think theres a better IndyCar team to work for right now.. He proved it again in that race and got the job done.. He also competed in four Formula One races in 1977 and 1978, including two starts with Interscope, with a best finish of seventh in 1977 at the Canadian Grand Prix. The tragic circumstances of an accident also led to Ongais final start at Indianapolis in 1996. Were putting the resources behind it but trying to do it in a sustainable way thats good to the people that are working here as well and also just to have fun. He was hard to beat. He finished the season in 20th place in points. He quickly showed he could drive those cars as fast as anyone. Rosenqvist, driver of the No. So thats infectious for everybody.. Ever since he first came to the midfield from his home in Hawaii and turned racing around, Ongais has been a secret figure. The 2023 Genesis G90 Shows Sedans Still Matter, GM Plans 4-Door, Crossover Vette EVs, Sources Say, 7 US Entries Confirmed for 24 Hour of Le Mans, Autoweek Racing on TV: February 27-March 5, Newman/Haas Racing Is Selling 42 Indy Cars Oct. 29, Three-time Indy 500 Starter Rasmussen Dies at 85, How Dixon's Simple Mistake Cost Him Indy 500 Win, Move Over ABBA, Sweden Has a New Racing Superstar, Jimmie Johnson's Indy 500 Experience Ends in Crash, Ayla Agren Is Montoya's Eyes in the Sky for 500, 11 Closest Indianapolis 500 Finishes in History, Larry Foyt Out to Get A.J. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway detailed his death two days after the fact. He was the Indycar Rookie of the Year in 1977, competed in the Indy 500 11 times, and finished as high as fourth (1979) and also competed in both the famed 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans before hanging up his driving gloves in 1998. He dominated six races in USAC-sanctioned single-seater racing and finished eighth in the title. The versatile Ongais made 11 #Indy500 starts, with four top-10 finishes. Longtime followers of this column are well aware of Ongais greatest quarter-mile accomplishments behind the wheel of Mickey Thompsons Mustang Funny Car in 1969, but his love of going fast was deeply rooted long before then. Faster than he could whip a motorcycle through a turn, Ongais became a drag racer and an instant winner. I do think he was one of the best drivers out there. He had a 7th at Ontario and 5th at Phoenix and then he won his first Indy car race at Michigan International Speedway. Ongais was known to be a hermit and quiet man who did not give many meetings and uncovered the least about his life outside of bullying. Danny Ongais, a Hawaii native, died Saturday of heart complications in Anaheim Hills, California, according to a news release from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: How to watch on TV in the USA on ESPN, How Liberty is "playing long game" to help F1 teams make money, How Liberty is "playing long game" to help F1 teams make money For reasons of his own, Ongais has done it his way, and it has all but destroyed his career. Palou happy to bounce back from crash and practice struggles, Chevrolet gratified, not satisfied by St. Pete IndyCar win, Hardwick slams flawed IMSA BoP, announces WEC plans, Hardwick slams flawed IMSA BoP How much does an F1 car weigh in 2023 and what's included in the limit? He really wanted to be here. The time he hit the wall in the third turn. So we just have to keep that, and well be all right.. We obviously have the resources to tap into and the shared knowledge of the greater McLaren Racing group. [4], In 1977, Ongais ran his first full season in Indy cars. View their obituary at Legacy.com flowers and lei are welcomed He is survived by wife, Patricia P. Ongais of Keaau; and he has been married to his wife Hes a great personality to the team. Get email updates about Daniel Ongais delivered directly to your inbox. He was known as a fast and daring driver, but he experienced multiple crashes in his career, some resulting in injury. They are in relation from previous few years of a strong relationship. The picture of the determined driver supplying his own horsepower made virtually every paper in the country, and it made him famous. He competed A driver cannot let skill alone speak for him. At the age of 18, he earned a Hawaiian state title in motorcycle racing, and he went on to become a drag racing ace. Right from the get-go for me, that was a high-priority item to try and spruce ourselves up. For the 1987 season Interscope Racing teamed up with Team Penske getting Ongais in the #25 Panavision Penske PC-16-Ilmor-Chevrolet Indy V8 for the Indianapolis 500, however Ongais crashed in practice and suffered a concussion. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Children: He is having no children as of now. Ongais later attempted to race at the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway, the Nissan Indy Challenge at Tamiami Park, and the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix at Nazareth Speedway. He was 79. Were not where we want to be right now, but thats normal. Although Ongais won more Indy car races than any other driver that year, a combination of mechanical problems and low finishes in other races meant he would only finish 8th in the 1978 USAC Indy car championship. Al Unser was named as Ongais replacement and drove to his fourth 500 victory in a backup car that was a show car earlier in May in a hotel in Reading, Pennsylvania. Ongais final attempt at Indianapolis came in 1998, when he failed to qualify in a Team Pelfrey car. Theres one person coming in every other day, and it just becomes normality, the Swede said. Indianapolis became his bete noir. I messaged her on Instagram, Hey, I think youre super cool, youre really killing it, and if you ever want to work in IndyCar, let me know, Gundlach told NBC Sports. No information regarding his funeral ceremony has come out yet from the side of his family. On the starting line, his rival`s car broke, spilling its oil. So far as anyone knows, he has nothing to hide.''. He was 79. I, like many, always enjoyed watching the Top Fuel and Funny Cars when I was not racing my own car. Hardwick slams flawed IMSA BoP, announces WEC plans, Honda reveals Civic Type R pace car for IndyCar events, Honda's new Civic Type R pace car The arduous task took nearly two minutes but was met with rousing cheers from the crowd. He was easy going outside of the car, didnt say much and kept to himself but when he got in the car and put a helmet on, it was like he flipped the switch and stood on the gas.. Ongais also began drag racing in the early 60s and became one of the top straight-line competitors in America into the early 1970s. Danny completed 10th place in his last race in 1996. The engineering is growing more slowly but continuously. Virtually all that is known of Ongais is a matter of public record. Danny, the way he picked it up, was like a duck to water, Mario Andretti told NBC Sports. He is 44 and has never married. That stems more from drag racing. Ongais made 11 Indy 500 starts between 1977 and 1996 and placed in the top 10 a total of four times. Thats what we like to avoid doing because you lose a little of the human touch that way. A head-on shunt in the 1981 Indy 500 left him recuperating for the remainder of the season while four years later at Michigan he went into a barrel-roll after launching off the back of another car. Thompson and Ongais also teamed up to set nearly 300 national and international speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats in a Mach 1 Mustang during the 1960s. ''He studies everything he says,'' says one friend, ''but why? As in any industry, networking and recruiting are cornerstones to motorsports, where big-league success is predicated as much on driver and car as the countless people who support the stars and build the machines behind the scenes for any IndyCar, NASCAR or Formula One team. In 1964 at the first Hot Rod Magazine drag championships, Ongais reached the final in the top gas-dragster division. He has also interviewed a plethora of sporting personalities. He was fearless, Mears said. Two years later he qualified on the front row and led for four laps before crashing again. He also raced in Formula One, in 1977-78, in six Grands Prix, recording a best result of seventh. He was there to do a job. Honestly, there was already so much talent in the group, and I feel like so much more has been added on which is just going to help us to really get us where we want to be.. If you embrace it for what it is, the American culture and the IndyCar experience, its a neat option for these guys. Even with a short 10-year stint in drag racing, Ongais was still so well regarded that he was voted No. Scott said Arrow McLaren has lost only three team members since last years Sept. 11 finale at Laguna Seca, an unheard-of number that she attributes to working hard on trying to give back to employees with extra cash and time off. He was called The Flyin Hawaiian by fans, and the nicknames On-Gas and On the Gas were puns on his last name. Its a big focus to get the McLaren brand out in the world and do good content, which I think were probably the leading team in that sense now. He was 79 In 1977, his first full year on the championship car circuit, he won a race at Michigan and was named rookie of the year. Ongais moved into circuit racing in the 1970s, working his way up the ranks in American racing through SCCA road racing with the help of Ted Field. I think its a more family friendly way to go racing. Danny commenced his journey from 11 Indianapolis 500 races from 1977-96 and made many races on his name as the winner. Danny Ongais competed in 11 Indianapolis 500 starts, completing mostly good times between 1977 and 1996. Shes like, Absolutely. . With the explosive growth and importance of computer-based simulation in racing, theres as much emphasis on software engineering now as there once was on traditional mechanics. He was smiling and said, Hell of a race. That was Danny Ongais. 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