There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. When he was 14, he already was speeding around on motorcycles. Even his closest friends know little of his personal life. The versatile Ongais made 11 Indianapolis 500 starts between 1977 and 1996, with four top-10 finishes. 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. All we can do is look across what corporations and companies are doing when people tell us we could do better in one space or another, she said. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 32 seat vacated by the late Scott Brayton, Danny Ongais made his last start in the Indy 500 with Team Menard (IndyCar). He loved what he was doing. He was a force to be reckoned with when he was out there. But then the wild mustangs he was driving gave way to the thoroughbreds, the ground-effects cars. He made a late pass going into turn 3. His entry was taken over by three-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser, who took the replacement machine a one-year-old show-car and made himself a four-time 500 winner. I think its a more family friendly way to go racing. Ongais suffered serious injuries in a head-on crash in the 1981 Indianapolis 500, missing the rest of the season to recover. 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. And thats across the board, both commercial and operational. But when you look back, I think obviously marketing and that kind of stuff is becoming pretty huge in our team. Ongais hadnt raced since the 1986 Indy 500. I think Gavin kind of feeds off that and has a similar style as well.. No one even knew much about him, let alone his age. That is what I liked about individuals like that.. Danny let his racing do his talking for him, thats for sure., Follow Bruce Martin on Twitter at @BruceMartin_500. [9] Ongais finished 7th, having the best car early in the race. Danny Ongais (May 21, 1942 February 26, 2022) was an American racing driver. I think everyone in the team feels that we should perform and win instead of like, its a luxury to win. No matter how fast Ongais drove his race car, he always wanted to go even faster. At the Indianapolis 500 Ongais crashed in practice and this put Ongais in jeopardy of not being able to compete. For those of us who saw Ongais race, he was a man who thrived on sheer, raw speed. He was as smooth they get. The time he hit the wall in the third turn. Have Harvey and RLL formed IndyCars next winning match-up? Those are the nice things that people want out of family who do this.. No ones ever going to say weve got everything figured out. Born in 1942 in the wake of the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, Ongais grew up in Kahului on the island of Maui, and he raced BSA motorcycles as a teenager before he was introduced to the dragstrip by some friends. At the 1981 Indianapolis 500, he was involved in a near-fatal accident that caused him to miss almost a year of racing. ''He ran her off the speedway. Ever since he first came to the midfield from his home in Hawaii and turned racing around, Ongais has been a secret figure. This time they carried him away, his body broken almost beyond repair. For Ongais it was the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to resurrect a shattered career. Last year, we did five races in four weekends. I thought towards the end of the run, if the fans didnt like this, they dont need to be here. He was intense and good. In his heyday he was the Larry Mahan of racing. [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 just doesn`t want to let anyone into his life,'' says the friend. His race director at Interscope Racing Jim Chapman stated Nobody really knew much about him where he lived, his family, stuff like that. Weve had more people come to us than weve reached out to other people. That 1978 season also included Ongais starting in the middle of the first all-200-mph front row at Indianapolis, between pole sitter Tom Sneva and rookie Rick Mears, but his best finish in his 11 starts at the Speedway was a fourth in 1979. Godspeed, racer. 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. He was hard to beat. So quiet, so humble and so fast ! In 1977, his first full year on the championship car circuit, he won a race at Michigan and was named rookie of the year. A look at seven decades of wild, wheelstanding crowdpleasers, Altered States, Part 2: Breakage, tears, and fears, but ultimately a success story, Altered States: Fear and loathing (and a lot of thrills) on the quarter-mile, Ed 'the Outlaw' Jones: Living life on two wheels for more than 45 years, You never know with nitro: A look back at seven great Funny Car upset wins, Everyone loves an underdog: Here's a list of five great Top Fuel upsets, 30 years ago: The 1992 NHRA season was a year full of historic firsts, Female Pro Stock pioneer Shay Nichols: A life well lived (and then some), Magnificent Seven: A history of female racers in NHRA Pro Stock competition, On the Gas: The drag racing life and times of Danny Ongais, By The Numbers: Pro Stock readies for 900th event 'birthday' in Pomona, That was then, this is now: A look back at the NHRA season 50 years ago. What it has done to his life no one could say. Ongais died Feb. 26, 2022 from congestive heart failure in Anaheim Hills, California. [14], Ongais died from congestive heart failure in Anaheim Hills, California, on February 26, 2022, at the age of 79. His way has, in effect, betrayed his talent and denied his intellect. 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. There have been other athletes who have taken a vow of silence, most notably baseball`s Steve Carlton. We cant say their name. 6 Chevy, is entering his third season at Arrow McLaren and said its been virtually seamless as the team doubled in size. Ongais died from congestive heart failure in Anaheim Hills, California, on February 26, 2022, at the age of 79. 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. Weve got a lot of positivity. 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. Danny Ongais was my hero, Mears told NBC Sports. Visitation from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Wake service at 7 p.m. Visitation from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; Celebration of Mass at 10:30 a.m. Burial at East Hawaii Veterans Cemetery No. 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. Ongais ended the season in 15th place in points. There probably has never been a driver who hit the wall harder more often and was able to survive than Danny Ongais (who died earlier this year). NASCAR 2023 at Las Vegas schedule, entry list, and how to watch, NASCAR 2023 at Las Vegas schedule, entry list, and how to watch It was always wide-open throttle. He proved it again in that race and got the job done.. Was Danny Ongais married? Thats what we like to avoid doing because you lose a little of the human touch that way. He was the oldest driver to compete in that field, at age 54. We have no more Information about his Father; we will try to collect information and update soon. The rides with major teams that could have been his went to less talented but more malleable men. 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. He crashed out on a wet track at Watkins Glen after moving up early but managed a 7th place in Canada in what would be his best finish in F1.[2]. He qualified well over the season, earning three poles, and he finished 12th in the standings. 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. Ongais 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. Penske looks for three things when hiring a driver, and the ability to go fast is the last of the three. Even his closest friends know little of His first Indy-car race came at Ontario, Calif., late in 1976. There are no visitors to Danny Ongais` world. Any amount of anonymity that Ongais had changed on a worldwide basis after he reunited with Thompson in late 1968. We have no information about his girlfriend/boyfriend. Represented at Indianapolis by Thompson`s sister, Colleen Campbell, Ongais occasionally allowed himself to be interviewed. Went to victory lane and did all the smiling and pictures. No information regarding his funeral ceremony has come out yet from the side of his family. Its a mentality shift thats good. That comes from a focus on the culture of the team. First, Penske has said many times, he wants a team player. (Its) retaining the people youve got, he said. Born in Kahului, Hawaii on May 21, 1942, Ongais remains the first driver from the Aloha State to race in the Indianapolis 500, and hes an appropriate pioneer as May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. And I found her in a magazine and just reached out to her., ST. PETE PRIMER:Schedules, start times and how to watch the 2023 IndyCar season opener, PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS: Its crowded at the top with Ganassi and Penske drivers. In 1978 he also made one final attempt at F1. Field was part of the famed Marshall Field family, the famed owners of the department store chain in Chicago. 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. Daniel was born on June 10, 1938 and passed away on Friday, October 11, 2019. He also finished in 10th place in points. 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. Just the camaraderie. ''But he broke her heart,'' says a friend. How Marcus Ericsson finally unlocked his potential in IndyCar, Remembering Dan Wheldon and his last and most amazing win, Dan Wheldon and his amazing last win Our paths didnt cross a lot away from the track, but when they did, he was a quiet, easygoing guy totally different and opposite outside of the car. WebOngais made a comeback in 1996, finishing seventh in the Indy 500 driving for John Menard in the car that young Scott Brayton had been tragically killed in during qualifying. The tragic circumstances of an accident also led to Ongais final start at Indianapolis, in 1996. 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". and he has been married to his wife The car broke in two and his legs were hanging out. Another great driver from that era was three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, who recalled one dramatic showdown with Ongais at Michigan International Speedway in the 1978 Norton Twin 200. They teamed up with the legendary Hurley Haywood to win the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 1979 in the Interscope Porsche 935 prototype. 25 Parnelli and Penske chassis powered by Cosworth engines, with a best finish of fourth in 1979 and a top start of second next to pole sitter Tom Sneva in 1978. But Ward said it wasnt necessarily a driver-executive package deal. He complements my strengths very well, and his experience is a good buffer. Chapman did state that well into their relationship he learned Ongais was married and had a son. He did not have any of that reputation, quite honestly. Ongais is the only native of Hawaii to start in The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Fans included his heritage in his nickname The Flyin Hawaiian, and nicknames On-Gas and On the Gas were word plays on his last name. Thats the difference. Weve expanded our operations pretty significantly, she said. Thats exciting. Shes a complete unicorn and super hard worker. WebFormer Indy car, drag racing star Danny Ongais dies aged 79 Danny Ongais, a race-winner and ace qualifier in Indy car racing whose career spanned three decades died last Why Kyle Kirkwood is America's new IndyCar ace-in-waiting, Why Kirkwood is USA's ace-in-waiting Join Facebook to connect with Danny N Patsy Ongais and others you may know. We have no more information about his spouse. The head count was up to 94 by mid-February and is expected to be at least 100 by the end of March. Weve really tried to stretch ourselves to find the best and the brightest no matter where they live, Scott said. (Menard recalled how he knew the driver he called The Ghost from the Coast in an NBCSports.com interview last year. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway detailed his death two days after the fact. Because its so easy to get sucked into a more corporate environment. Thats what it is all about, any way you can add another 500 horsepower, you do it. Parents: The undercover bloggers Parents are not 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. He decided to remain private regarding her life and Its pretty amazing to me with how involved he is with every aspect of the IndyCar organization, the F1 organization. (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.). We started from a team that had always been competitive and hungry to find the very last bit, and that is still the backbone here that came from the small, really hungry team. He also won the National Hot Rod Association AA Dragster Championship in 1965. If he was running at the end, you couldnt count him out. Ongais tried to correct the slide by turning right, and the car hooked to the right and crashed nearly head-on into the wall. He made a lot of noise in a very quiet way. Also, we have no idea about his brother and sister, and we dont know their names either. Drag racing, that's been my life, but for Danny, it was just part of where he wanted to go, and he sure got there.. We may earn money from the links on this page. Driving for Parnelli Jones, he crashed. 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. He entered the season with the Ensign team, in a year-old N177 chassis, and retired in Argentina and Brazil with brake problems. The recruitment pitch to join the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team started with the 21st century social media version of a corporate headhunters cold call. 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