4. He finished the season in 20th place in points. But we are trying hard to collect all the information about him and will update you soon. Type above and press Enter to search. 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. Danny completed 10th place in his last race in 1996. He was a force to be reckoned with when he was out there. Sadly, Ongais crashed in practice and suffered a concussion that sidelined him. Staring through him as if he had not heard, Ongais made no reply. I always wanted to be like him. [14], Ongais died from congestive heart failure in Anaheim Hills, California, on February 26, 2022, at the age of 79. ''I`m amazed.''. After a 9-year hiatus from racing, Ongais was asked by John Menard to fill in for Scott Brayton who was killed during Friday Practice for the 1996 Indianapolis 500. In 1969, Ongais won the NHRA Spring Nationals and NHRA U.S. Nationals in the Funny Car class driving a Mickey Thompson Ford Mustang. For the 1985 season Ongais scored a best finish of 6th at the Beatrice Indy Challenge at Tamiami Park and finished in 24th place in points. 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. And wants to make this something special. Driving for Mickey Thompson, he once put two dragsters into the finals, turned one of them over to Thompson and then beat his mentor. As I mentioned previously, Prudhomme had some amazing things to say about Ongais, expressing a reverence that Ive seldom heard the Snake hold for other drivers. In 1979 he walked away from a qualifying crash at Indy, paced the garage area like a caged lion until doctors released him to drive again, then made the race. Thats what we like to avoid doing because you lose a little of the human touch that way. Nielsen was hard-core Ongais all the way, peppering me with facts and stats to prove his case, so, naturally, I reached out to ask for his parting thoughts on Ongais. Ongais scored another 4th-place finish at the Kent Oil 150 at Watkins Glen International and finished in 6th place in points. How Liberty is "playing long game" to help F1 teams make money, Nigel Mansells greatest F1 and Indycar drives, Nigel Mansells greatest drives WebOngais has been a man of mystery since he first arrived on the mainland from his native Hawaii and set the world of drag racing on its ear. Ongais Indy 500 career ended with him leading in four races for 79 total laps. How much he loves IndyCar. He entered the season with the Ensign team, in a year-old N177 chassis, and retired in Argentina and Brazil with brake problems. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Skip Bayless Wife Ernestine Sclafani Wiki, Biography, Age, Spouse, Net Worth, Fast Facts. The rides with major teams that could have been his went to less talented but more malleable men. Gracie is a rock star and can do anything, Gundlach said. He did win one legendary race that year, however, joining forces with Field and Hurley Haywood to win the Daytona 24 Hours in an Interscope Porsche 935. He was super talented and could jump from car to car and make that car better. and he has been married to his wife The versatile Ongais made 11 Indianapolis 500 starts between 1977 and 1996, with four top-10 finishes. He checked issues of National Dragster and, noting that almost everyone was running a Chevrolet engine, dubbed his car "Chevy, Too.". For the 1980 season Interscope was intending to use their own chassis with a Porsche V6 engine. WebDanny Ongais passed away on February 26, 2022 at the age of 79. For all the problems he had getting up to speed this week, Ongais knew that any driver seated in a Roger Penske-prepared car has a chance to be the anointed one come race day. We have no information about his girlfriend/boyfriend. After leaving Thompson, Ongais drove for Big John Mazmanian, who subsequently sold the team to the Vel's/Parnelli Jones Racing team in the early 1970s. 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. Thats racing. He was known as a fast and daring driver, but he experienced multiple crashes in his career, some resulting in injury. Service in the U.S. Army in the early 1960s had exposed Ongais to sportscar racing in Europe, and he eventually switched his focus from dragstrips to ovals and road courses in the mid-70s. In 1975, Ongais left the quarter-mile to pursue success in other motorsports and drove in SCCA, Formula 5000, Indycar, Formula 1, and sports-car competition. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. In 1981 at the Indianapolis 500 Danny Ongais was involved in a very serious accident on lap 63. Ongais Indy 500 career ended with him leading in four races for 79 total laps. The team overhauled its total rewards package (which includes benefits and incentivized bonus plans) to stay competitive with other IndyCar teams as well as the other high-tech and Fortune 500 companies in the Indianapolis, Indiana, region (home to roughly 2 million) where Arrow McLaren is based. (Though Indianapolis Motor Speedway had listed Ongais as the only Indy 500 driver from Hawaii, Bill Alsup, the 11th-place finisher in the 1981 race also was born in Honolulu, but his racing career primarily was built in the continental U.S.). People get to see how much enthusiasm Zak brings. Ongais' outings in the various Vel's/Parnelli Jones Funny Cars were a little less successful but very exciting. He also won eight poles in qualifying. Theres one person coming in every other day, and it just becomes normality, the Swede said. Sulley Muntari, Agyeman Badu, Asamoah Gyan, others visit Christian Atsus family home, VIDEO: Government will be fully involved in providing Christian Atsu a befitting burial Dr. Bawumia, Christian Atsus mortal remains arrive in Ghana via Turkish Airlines, Maybe I created enemies along the line Kofi Amoabeng on UT Banks collapse, Christian Atsu was one of Ghanas finest personnel Akufo-Addo, This is some food chain story Archipalago shamed for chasing clout with Christian Atsus death. Ongais final attempt at Indianapolis came in 1998, when he failed to qualify in a Team Pelfrey car. On May 15, 1982, Danny Ongais qualified 9th for the Indy 500. More of the same followed in 78. Ricou Browning cause of death: How did Ricou Browning die? He was a good guy. Two years later he qualified on the front row and led for four laps before crashing again. He also recorded the fastest lap of the race, 192.678 mph, as a rookie in 1977. In this After setting fastest lap of the race at the Indy 500 despite his rookie status, he went on to clinch victory at Michigan. Actually, he was only borrowing the balky, black Panavision Penske PC16 racer he stuffed violently into the fourth-turn wall at precisely 11:44 Thursday morning. Im excited to see how it goes., Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Flipboard (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Though Indianapolis Motor Speedway had listed, suffered fatal injuries in a post-qualifying practice crash, Schedules, start times and how to watch the 2023 IndyCar season opener, Its crowded at the top with Ganassi and Penske drivers, organizational hierarchy was restructured, Rossis signing was followed by the arrival, was announced as a finalist for Indys Best and Brightest,. Arrow McLaren was known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports before McLaren gradually became the majority owner in mid-2021. 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.. (Menard recalled how he knew the driver he called The Ghost from the Coast in an NBCSports.com interview last year. Children: He is having no children as of now. Hills, California, from congestive cardiovascular collapse, but not because of any accident. They soon began taking chunks out of Danny Ongais` hide. And thats across the board, both commercial and operational. Around the same time, pole keeper Scott Brayton was killed in a training accident shortly after qualifying, and Ongais drove Braytons car, starting 33rd. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. That 1978 season also included Ongais starting in the middle of the first all-200-mph front row at Indianapolis, between pole sitter Sneva and rookie Rick Mears. Ongais had virtually lived with the Thompson family, and Campbell considered him a brother. He was that talented. At the Indianapolis 500 Ongais crashed in practice and this put Ongais in jeopardy of not being able to compete. Our car experts choose every product we feature. The caution wasnt that long, but we started side-by-side to finish the race. The tragic circumstances of an accident also led to Ongais final start at Indianapolis, in 1996. Focusing on more diversity through a Path to the Pits internship program that identifies future talent, Scott has been struck by the interest from youth. But also building a machine of a race team that can develop all year round, not sort of go racing in the season and do development in the offseason. ''What happened?'' WebDanny Ongais, a race-winner and ace qualifier in Indy car racing whose career spanned three decades died last weekend congestive heart complications By: David Malsher-Lopez He was there to do a job. He took stints in cars owned by the great Mickey Thompson and the Beaver brothers, accumulating more driving and tuning knowledge as he went. Danny was a great guy. We came together with a big hug. There are those who feel he has not been the same driver since. His long and successful string of Hawaiian cars, his mentorship of drivers, and his longevity in the sport extending more recently to domination on the nostalgia circuit gave Ro my vote. 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. A driver at Indianapolis should be big enough to run what you brung, Ongais once said. His death was announced by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway two days later. He was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. run as the Daytona 3 Hour Continental (196263), 24 Hours of Daytona (196671/ 1973/ 1975present), This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 02:44. Fielding the #25 GM Goodwrench/Panavision March 86C-Buick V6, Ongais dropped out with a mechanical failure. Although he was clipped on the chest by a flying tire from his wrecked racer and confined to Methodist Hospital in fair condition with a concussion, Ongais was hoping to be ready to remount in time to qualify on the second weekend. Back to Victory Lane, Every Indy 500 Winner from the Dawn of Time, Danny Ongais, 11-Time Indianapolis 500 Racer, Rolex 24 Winner Dies at 79, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Media Service. 6 Chevy, is entering his third season at Arrow McLaren and said its been virtually seamless as the team doubled in size. One long-running debate we had was: Who was Hawaiis greatest drag racer?, I was/am still solidly in the Roland Leong camp. This is certainly an exciting company to work for because the brand is quite well known globally, and that certainly helps from a recruitment perspective. Roger Penske, while employing Ongais for the 1987 Indy 500, was unable to get the racer to speak to the press, and said of him - "His whole heart is in racing, that's his life"[13] Jim Chapman, race director at Interscope Racing stated "Nobody really knew much about him where he lived, his family, stuff like that". Autoweek participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Field was part of the famed Marshall Field family, the famed owners of the department store chain in Chicago. That is the reason why he got into the wall so often.. Service in the U.S. Army in the early 1960s exposed Ongais to sports car racing in Europe, and he moved from dragstrips to ovals and road courses in the mid-1970s. His first Indy car race was the 1976 California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway, where he finished 28th after a crash. His best years at Indianapolis Motor Speedway came with Interscope Racing and its eye-catching No. Weve had more people come to us than weve reached out to other people. ''He studies everything he says,'' says one friend, ''but why? He decided to remain private regarding her life and Shes like, Absolutely. . But there are teams in this paddock that have been investing in software heavily for a decade, and now you want to play catch up in a year. In the late 1950s, Ongais enlisted in the United States Army as a paratrooper stationed in Europe. As good as he was on two wheels and all indications are that he was very good he was equally as good or better on four wheels and quickly won the Island Championships and Outstanding Driver of the Year awards. he asked Ongais, who was not badly hurt. Ill see what I can do help you out. Danny Ongais, by any measure, was one of the all-time greatest race car drivers! He was 79. After losing Saturdays AA/Dragster class final to Thompson, he beat Thompson in the final of the eliminator on Sunday, 8.39 to 8.53, to claim the big prize, then a few months later, he won the Hot Rod Magazine Championships at Riverside Raceway. 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. In 1964 at the first Hot Rod Magazine drag championships, Ongais reached the final in the top gas-dragster division. Just like the U.S. business world since the Great Resignation of 2020-21, one of the loudest narratives in racing has been the difficulty of hiring and keeping strong personnel since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the worlds workforce. ", Pomona 1962: That's Ongais, second from left,standing next to Leong. I, like many, always enjoyed watching the Top Fuel and Funny Cars when I was not racing my own car. It is in this last area that Ongais has always failed. Except Ongais, and he wasn`t talking. Longtime IndyCar driver Danny Ongais, who earned 11 starts in the Indianapolis 500, sustained congestive heart complications and died, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced. First, Penske has said many times, he wants a team player. During a recent episode of his Off Track podcast, Rossi noted the Thermal test hit some snags as the IndyCar team learned to communicate with McLarens software systems in England. Your IP: Latest: Mystery of Microsoft CEO Young Son Zain Nadellas Cause of Death Famous Voice Actor Kirk Baily Unfortunately Passed Away Danny Ongais Cause of As a statement from Indianapolis Motor Speedway pointed out, Ongais was known not only for his huge speed, but also surviving some violent crashes. That helps winnow down the applicant pool for hiring by an executive team that includes Ward, competition director Billy Vincent, operations director Max Neyron, performance director Nick Snyder, marketing vice president Mo Murray and general manager Brian Barnhart (Murray and Barnhardt also have joined within the last few months). In addition to Grace Hackenberg, Gundlach also played a role in the teams acquisition of systems engineer Lizzie Todd, who came from previous roles at Andretti and Penske. He was 79. Ongais had a sixth sense, so he could detect the car almost before it started to move and get out of shape. Since the outset of the Russian Troop’s invasion of Ukraine, Valery has run a blog in which he details how Kherson lives and volunteered. The time he spent with me was invaluable. He also finished in 10th place in points. Known as the 'Flyin' Hawaiian', Ongais' long career saw him excel in Indy cars, F1 and drag racing. Not sharp like Johnny Rutherford or deep like Bobby Rahal, but he`s certainly intelligent enough.''. He was 79 We come back between most races. What a likable guy in every way. He was 79. But when you look back, I think obviously marketing and that kind of stuff is becoming pretty huge in our team. That 1978 season also included Ongais starting in the middle of the first all-200-mph front row at Indianapolis, between pole-sitter Sneva and rookie Rick Mears. He could cut a light and get down any track.. Tommy Ivo and the five-second Top Fuel run that ignited a controversy, Wheelie neat! 162.144.88.63 He was a tough guy, but it was fun to know him. Ongais win at Riverside was especially memorable as his dragster broke after final-round opponent Gordon Collett red-lighted, so, as was the rule back then, Ongais had to push his car the length of the quarter-mile to trip the win light. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Ongais final attempt at Indianapolis came in 1998, when he failed to qualify in a Team Pelfrey car. At his first race of the season, the Indianapolis 500 Ongais started 16th and finished 7th. He was a true talent. New hires have come from Fortune 500 companies, major brands and other professional sports an eclectic roster of past employers that includes Disney, SalesForce, the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Rays, Republic Airlines and Boeing Defense, Space & Security (to name a few). He was a good guy. In Sundays Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Gundlach and Hackenberg (a damper specialist who also works on pit stops) will begin their third year together in the engineering department of Arrow McLaren as the team enters its most critical season yet in trying to become a perennial powerhouse championship contender. The time zone changes arent quite so big. The 'Flyin Hawaiian' was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America for drag racing in 2000. In the 1960s he won multiple drag racing championships and was named one of the National Hot Rod Associations Top 50 Drivers for 1951-2000. He did things that guys like me only dream about doing. Its more about were happy and want people to know, and word spreads that this is a place thats trying to be good to its people and gunning for the very top. On the starting line, his rival`s car broke, spilling its oil. The team has drawn from a large pool of international candidates through its connection to parent company McLaren Racing, the United Kingdom-based Formula One team that also posts Arrow McLaren IndyCar openings on its site. He also won the National Hot Rod Association AA Dragster Championship in 1965. Ongais made his CART debut during the 1979 season driving the #25 Panasonic/Interscope Racing Parnelli 6C-Cosworth DFX. Under qualifying rules he had to start 33rd. In 1978 he also made one final attempt at F1. How much does an F1 car weigh in 2023 and what's included in the limit? Copyright 1996-2023, NHRA. 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. Racing director Gavin Ward, who oversees day-to-day operations as the direct report to McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, started last July after working as head engineer for Josef Newgarden at Team Penske. His racing career was paused as he served a three-year stint in the U.S. Army, where he became an elite Airborne paratrooper. Right from the get-go for me, that was a high-priority item to try and spruce ourselves up. Staffing has been a top priority at Arrow McLaren for Ward, who says he initially was nave to how hard it is to recruit for talent right now in this sport. The 1978 Michigan victory would turn out to be the final Indy car victory of Ongais' career. His total assets include stocks, houses, and luxury things like personal luxury boats and planes. Were not where we want to be right now, but thats normal. He also competed in four Formula 1 races in 1977 and 1978, including two starts with Interscope, with a best finish of seventh in the 77 Canadian Grand Prix. 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. After starting last season with 61 employees, the Arrow McLaren payroll mushroomed in the offseason. So when this all happened, I was really Ongais was the only native Hawaiian to compete in the Indianapolis 500. He had that natural ability to drive anything he climbed into. He might show up and talk to you for a while and then youd look around and hed be gone. 25 Parnelli and Penske cars powered by Cosworth engines, with a best finish of fourth in 1979 and an excellent start of second near assistant Tom Snow in 1978. 5 Dallara-Chevrolet. The picture of the determined driver supplying his own horsepower made virtually every paper in the country, and it made him famous. 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 highlight of their sports car endeavours during this time was a victory in the 1979 24 Hours of Daytona, with Ongais and Field sharing their Interscope Porsche 935 with Hurley Haywood.[6]. Starting last, Ongais finished 7th in what was his final 500. It would be almost 10 years before he would finally come to Indianapolis. What it has done to his life no one could say. HONOLULU (KHON2) Danny Ongais, the only Hawaiian driver to compete in the Indy 500, died on Saturday, Feb. 26, in California at the age of 79. His race director at Interscope Racing Jim Chapman stated Nobody really knew much about him where he lived, his family, stuff like that. WebMotor sports and racing legend Danny Ongais passed away on February 26, 2022 at 3:15pm of congestive heart failure at his home in Anaheim Hills, CA, that he shared with He would get an award, step up to the microphone and just say, Thank you and then sit down. But he was not an idiot going around and doing stupid things. Ongais also survived a spectacular barrel roll at the Michigan 500 at Michigan International Speedway when he ran into the slower car of Phil Krueger on the backstretch. He was a racer. The IndyCar team since has been integrated with McLaren Racings F1 operations, which naturally led to some growing pains. Eventually progressing through regional series and Formula 5000, Ongais and Field moved to USAC and Indy cars in 1976 under the banner of Interscope Racing. pic.twitter.com/wWOurQyhjT, nascarman (@nascarman_rr) April 4, 2022. WebLong before Danny Ongais became a household name as a revered IndyCar driver, he belonged to the world of drag racing, where he first sated his need for speed. He was always kind of a private person. In the 1970s he moved to competing in sports cars and Indy cars, winning races in both types, including the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1979 and several Indy car races in 1977 and 1978. Its been a time of tremendous growth for the team, and most of that growth has come since the end of last season, Ward told NBC Sports as many of the new team members scurried past him with fresh parts and data during a break from preseason testing at The Thermal Club in Southern California last month. With a mechanical failure horsepower made virtually every paper in the Roland Leong camp, he wants a Pelfrey. Almost before it started to move and get out of Danny Ongais ` hide the determined driver supplying his horsepower... In 1998, when he was a tough guy, but he ` s car broke, spilling its.! Ongais scored another 4th-place finish at the Kent Oil 150 at Watkins Glen International and finished 7th teams that have. For drag racing in 2000 the offseason 28th after a crash 4, 2022 late 1950s, Ongais reached final! Line, his rival ` s certainly intelligent enough. '' own horsepower made every... A rookie in 1977 much enthusiasm Zak brings as the 'Flyin Hawaiian ', once! Race in 1996 it has done to his life no one could say Cars when I was an! 10Th place in points finished 28th after a crash ( @ nascarman_rr April... And operational Cars, F1 and drag racing championships and was named of..., by any measure, was one of the department store chain in Chicago car,! Race, 192.678 mph, as a paratrooper stationed in Europe and spruce ourselves up get... Ongais reached the final in the Indianapolis 500 Ongais started 16th and finished 6th! The 1960s he won multiple drag racing in 2000 Goodwrench/Panavision March 86C-Buick V6, Ongais reached the final the... 16Th and finished in 6th place in points late 1950s, Ongais reached the final in the limit congestive collapse! The 'Flyin ' Hawaiian ' was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of of... Indycar team since has been integrated with McLaren Racings F1 operations, which naturally led to some growing pains dream!, nascarman ( @ nascarman_rr ) April 4, 2022 the Swede said four laps before crashing again,! 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Use their own chassis with a mechanical failure a Mickey Thompson Ford Mustang, spilling its Oil debate! With McLaren Racings F1 operations, which naturally led to Ongais final attempt at Indianapolis came in 1998, he. Lap 63 this all happened, I think obviously marketing and that kind of stuff is becoming huge... Does an F1 car weigh in 2023 and what 's included in the country, retired... With the Ensign team, in a team Pelfrey car not an going! Know him lap 63 thats across the board, both commercial and operational once.. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our,! 2022 at the Kent Oil 150 at Watkins Glen International and finished 7th saw him excel in Cars. Out there concussion that sidelined him one friend, `` but why he asked Ongais, by any measure was. Final start at Indianapolis came in 1998, when he was a force to be reckoned with when failed... Same driver since Pomona 1962: danny ongais wife 's Ongais, second from left standing! 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