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. 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. Sometimes its easy to forget that, but I think were doing a good job here. 6 Chevy, is entering his third season at Arrow McLaren and said its been virtually seamless as the team doubled in size. 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. 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. F4 Thailand Boys Over Flowers Season 1 Episode 13 Release Date and Time, Countdown, When Is It Coming Out. He never left anything on the table, I can tell you that. If he was running at the end, you couldnt count him out. Your IP: Ongais had virtually lived with the Thompson family, and Campbell considered him a brother. Those are the nice things that people want out of family who do this.. Al Unser was named as Ongais replacement and drove to his fourth Indy 500 victory in a backup car that previously had been used as a show car earlier in May at a hotel in Reading, Pennsylvania. That is what I liked about individuals like that.. ''He just doesn`t want to let anyone into his life,'' says the friend. The best season for Ongais and the Interscope team came in 1978, when he won five races and eight poles en route to an eighth-place finish in the USAC standings. Starting last, Ongais finished 7th in what was his final 500. He was a racer, and he loved what he was doing, so it was easier for him to get back in the car.. Ongais had no fear. Even with a short 10-year stint in drag racing, Ongais was still so well regarded that he was voted No. Ongais scored another 4th-place finish at the Kent Oil 150 at Watkins Glen International and finished in 6th place in points. Shes a complete unicorn and super hard worker. Gracie is a rock star and can do anything, Gundlach said. We came together with a big hug. He was a tough guy, but it was fun to know him. He suffered a concussion, compound fractures in both legs, a broken arm and a 6-inch tear in his diaphragm. Arguably Ongais best chance to win the Indy 500 came in his mid-40s in 1987, when Interscope partnered with Team Penske to run a Penske-Chevrolet at the Memorial Day Weekend classic. People get to see how much enthusiasm Zak brings. Ongais made his CART debut during the 1979 season driving the #25 Panasonic/Interscope Racing Parnelli 6C-Cosworth DFX. He moved up to the National Hot Rod Association AA Dragster championship and defeated the legendary Don Prudhomme in the 1966 NHRA Nationals in the Top Fuel semifinals. 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. Super positive. I think Gavin kind of feeds off that and has a similar style as well.. 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 We come back between most races. The green flag came out, and we ran side-by-side 220 mph for about 21 laps, sashaying at each other, side-by-side. He was a true talent. I, like many, always enjoyed watching the Top Fuel and Funny Cars when I was not racing my own car. That was the same year that Ongais became an Indy car winner. He was a force to be reckoned with when he was out there. Why Kyle Kirkwood is America's new IndyCar ace-in-waiting, 2021 IndyCar title is just the start for Ganassi's newest star, 2021 title just the start for Palou Thats the difference. 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. He Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a14578fbd9028fa One longtime observer feels that Ongais` reticence stems from a fear he will reveal a shallow understanding of the language, but actually, when he could be drawn out, he exhibited a better than average vocabulary. ", Pomona 1962: That's Ongais, second from left,standing next to Leong. 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. People are curious about IndyCar even if theyve not been involved in the past, she said. He finished the season in 20th place in points. And its especially true during a season with the kind of expansion that Arrow McLaren has undertaken for the 2023 season. At the age of 54, Ongais was an unlikely call-up to replace Team Menards Indy 500 polesitter Scott Brayton who had perished in a crash in a post-qualifying practice session. Long before Danny On the Gas Ongais became a household name across the country and around the world on television and radio as a revered IndyCar driver, he belonged to us, to the world of drag racing, where he sated his need for speed in the formative years of his motorsports career. Getting out of the car, Ongais pushed it the length of the quarter-mile dragstrip to claim the championship. The tragic circumstances of an accident also led to Ongais final start at Indianapolis, in 1996. For Penske the hiring of Ongais was an aberration, a minor breach of his own immutable rules. WebVersatile American racing driver Danny Ongais died on February 26 of congestive heart complications at age 79, it was announced Monday. 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 Ongais` life took a wrong turn up a one-way street Thursday, when he destroyed his most precious possession. 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. He had that natural ability to drive anything he climbed into. Switching to the top-fuel category, he racked up an eight-month winning streak, toured Europe and became the first driver ever to hit 200 miles an hour on a British dragstrip. Godspeed, racer. Obviously, were very happy with what weve managed to pull together in recruiting talented people at a time where its a scrap for talent out there. [2], That year he also ventured into Formula One with the Interscope team, entering the U.S. and Canadian Grands Prix at the end of the season in a year-old Penske PC4. 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.. He was a good guy. I think weve got a very good tribe of people here, and part of that includes just diversity of humans in general, Gundlach said. He was 79. He really was. But he was not an idiot going around and doing stupid things. In 1969, Ongais won the NHRA Spring Nationals and NHRA U.S. Nationals in the Funny Car class driving a Mickey Thompson Ford Mustang. INDIANAPOLIS Wedged into a corner of the Penske garage one day earlier this week, sat Danny Ongais, eating an orange, wrapped in his own private world. WebI was with the first crew to reach Danny Ongais (1981) when he had his horrifying wreck. For those of us who saw Ongais race, he was a man who thrived on sheer, raw speed. Faster than he could whip a motorcycle through a turn, Ongais became a drag racer and an instant winner. Burial site and Find a Grave details, Ricou Browning funeral, burial service, pictures, date, time, venue. Danny, the way he picked it up, was like a duck to water, Mario Andretti told NBC Sports. 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. He quickly showed he could drive those cars as fast as anyone. Was 1 of only 5 teammates I ever had in #INDYCAR. 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. He seldom lifted no matter how crossed up and sideways the car got. Represented at Indianapolis by Thompson`s sister, Colleen Campbell, Ongais occasionally allowed himself to be interviewed. Danny Ongais, a Hawaii native, died Saturday of heart complications in Anaheim Hills, California, according to a news release from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 1970 season didnt go as well, haunted by parts attrition and at least one fire that burned Ongais. Still, those five winsthree on the large superspeedways at Ontario, Texas, and Michigan, one at the short Milwaukee Mile oval, and one road race at Mosportdemonstrated Ongais' versatility as a driver. I think thatll grow into a bigger, better version of a big team than there is. Hes happy to be here; were happy to have him.. Its pretty amazing to me with how involved he is with every aspect of the IndyCar organization, the F1 organization. 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. Danny Ongais has He dominated six races in USAC-sanctioned single-seater racing and finished eighth in the title. He was that quiet lion, the only way to describe him, Mario Andretti told NBC Sports. He had refused all requests for interviews this week, and Penske himself could not get his driver to relent. 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. The sad news of the death of the veteran racing driver was announced by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway two days later after his death. They are in relation from previous few years of a strong relationship. He makes an effort to keep everyone up to date from top to bottom as to where things are, what the current objectives are and whats the future look like. 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. Linda Vaughn presented him with a diamond-studded belt buckle. Born May 21, 1942 in Kahului, Hawaii, Ongais began one of the most versatile careers of any driver in his era as a teenager, earning a Hawaii state title in motorcycle racing in 1960. He drove with bravado and advocated unlimited rules at the Indianapolis 500. 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. How much he loves IndyCar. I got to spend time with Danny at the [Indy] Speedway, and I just watched him do his thing, and he was magnificent. 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. We lost this treasured piece of history last Saturday when The Flyin Hawaiian, one of the greatest exports from the 50th state, passed away from congestive heart complications at age 79. Arrow McLaren uses applicant tracking software to determine the best matches on background, education and experience. Press Esc to cancel. 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 I feel like its been so hard to find people in all departments. I think its a more family friendly way to go racing. In September 1968, Thompson asked Ongais to help drive a trio of '69 Mustangs one with a 302, the other two NASCAR-style 427s on the Bonneville Salt Flats and in all set 295 national and international endurance records. He ran his last Indy Car race the next year, in the Indy 200 at Walt Disney World, with Chitwood Motorsports, where he finished 13th. Usually its me calling him for comment on someone whos passed, but this time he called me (he was, in fact, the first person to tell me of Ongais passing). Nigel Mansells greatest F1 and Indycar drives, How Marcus Ericsson finally unlocked his potential in IndyCar, How Ericsson unlocked his potential In 1978, his most successful year in Indy car racing, Ongais won five more races,[5] at Ontario Motor Speedway, Texas World Speedway, Mosport, the Milwaukee Mile, and again at Michigan. He proved it again in that race and got the job done.. Performance & security by Cloudflare. In 1978 he won five races and was the hottest driver on the circuit. As I have posted roles throughout this last year, Ive found a large number of youths all around the world thats interested in getting into motorsports. Ongais was a man of few words but drove a race car with the right foot of an elephant on the accelerator. While Ongais was known for his blazing speed at Indianapolis and elsewhere, he also attracted attention for surviving some of the most violent crashes of his era. ), Danny Ongais stepped up when @INDYCAR & I needed him most. Even his closest friends know little of his personal life. All logos and images are reserved. I thought towards the end of the run, if the fans didnt like this, they dont need to be here. In 1969, Thompson hired him to drive his new Pat Foster-built, Ford SOHC-powered Mustang Mach 1 Funny Car the blue one; Foster drove a red one and the car showed immediate promise. Weve got intense bits of the season. Carrying too much speed out of the turn, the car drifted out into the grey and the back end began to slide. Ongais suffered serious injuries in a head-on crash in the 1981 Indianapolis 500, missing the rest of the season to recover. So when this all happened, I was really Danny Ongais Wife: Who Is She? In the same way the rodeo champion could break anything on four legs, Ongais could tame anything on four wheels. 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]. The Cosworth was hugely powerful, Ongais regularly appearing to dance the car on the rim of disaster on his way to eight pole positions, and when it hung together he tended to win: he racked up five triumphs that year. Since arriving in the fall of 2019 at the former Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, she said she has watched Arrow McLaren grow while maintaining its gritty origins. He then competed at the Gould Twin Dixie 125 however bad luck hit Ongais in both races. We want to pull the best of the world of motor racing and beyond. I think the general direction of the team, just kind of goals and ambitions, you can feel that everyones targeting something different than they did two years ago. When he got his chance, he did not disappoint anyone. The times I got to know him; he was one that you always admired. As the season progressed the Parnelli 6C (which was already a two-year-old car) started to struggle due to its age. His Girlfriend/boyfriends name is Not Available. 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. 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.. As soon as he was able, he got back on the horse but was no longer a major force. Thats racing. Thats what we like to avoid doing because you lose a little of the human touch that way. WebDanny N Patsy Ongais is on Facebook. ''But he broke her heart,'' says a friend. Hills, California, from congestive cardiovascular collapse, but not because of any accident. His first Indy car race was the 1976 California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway, where he finished 28th after a crash. He also raced in Formula One, in 1977-78, in six Grands Prix, recording a best result of seventh. But he continued to build a wall of silence around himself. It made you sad that he ran out of fuel because it would have been something to see if he could have produced anything to beat me or if I could have beat him. [2], Throughout the decade, and indeed throughout the remainder of his driving career, Ongais and Field continued driving sports cars successfully, mainly in IMSA Camel GT competition. (Menard recalled how he knew the driver he called The Ghost from the Coast in an NBCSports.com interview last year. He took stints in cars owned by the great Mickey Thompson and the Beaver brothers, accumulating more driving and tuning knowledge as he went. Ever since he first came to the midfield from his home in Hawaii and turned racing around, Ongais has been a secret figure. Ongais started in 21st place and retired with mechanical problems. 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. He must please a sponsor, and sponsors are not pleased when they read stories about their surly driver. A two-year-old car ) started to struggle due to its age Colleen Campbell, Ongais the... From left, standing next to Leong didnt go as well, haunted by parts attrition and at least fire. The championship driver to relent start at Indianapolis, in six Grands Prix, recording a best of. 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