Yet he hides everything. They teamed up with the legendary Hurley Haywood to win the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 1979 in the Interscope Porsche 935 prototype. Ongais crashed in practice and suffered a concussion in 1987 at Indianapolis while driving for Team Penske, forcing him to miss the race. View, Rosanne Ongais of Oceanside, California and Daisy (Melvin) Ongais-Kilaulani of Keaau; sons, Carl Moe, Jr. of Hilo, Richard (Julie) Moe of Bethel Island, California, David (Vanessa) Moe of Keaau, James Moe of Las Vegas, Nevada and Michael (Carrie) Moe of Brentwood, California; brothers, Jerome (Jean) Ongies of Oahu, Claudino (Bernadette) Ongais of Washington and Steven (Elena) Ongais of Hilo; sisters, Constance Wheeler of Arkansas and Carmen Dusza of Oahu; brother in-law, Alfred (Maile) Tavares of Hilo; sister in-law, Sharon Tavares of Keaau; 34 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews a. I personally liked the On the Gas nickname more because it was a play on his last name, and more importantly, that was the way he drove. 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. 1 staffing priority wasnt hiring. Timing is everything in this business and having the luck of the timing on your side, Mears said. BREAKING! For a few years Ongais had an uneasy truce with the press, but even that evaporated when Colleen Campbell left him. I won the race. Longtime IndyCar driver Danny Ongais, who earned 11 starts in the Indianapolis 500, sustained congestive heart complications and died, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced. We came together with a big hug. Danny Ongais Wife: Who Is She? Its a mentality shift thats good. 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. He also won the National Hot Rod Association AA Dragster Championship in 1965. And well-deserved. So far as anyone knows, he has nothing to hide.''. While practicing for his first Indy-car race at Hanford, Calif., his car caught fire on the. Weve got all these new people, all this new equipment, Ward said. Kate Gundlach, a performance engineer at Arrow McLaren, was leafing through a sports car magazine a couple years ago when she stumbled upon a story about Grace Hackenberg, an Oregon-based racing engineer. He made a lot of noise in a very quiet way. Children: He is having no children as of now. Hes happy to be here; were happy to have him.. 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. NASCAR 2023 at Las Vegas schedule, entry list, and how to watch, NASCAR 2023 at Las Vegas schedule, entry list, and how to watch 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". In 1969 he won the NHRA Spring Nationals and NHRA U.S. Nationals in the Funny Car class driving a Ford Mustang for Mickey Thompson. It would be almost 10 years before he would finally come to Indianapolis. The guys in IndyCar racing called him The Ghost from the Coast. , (Be sure to read the end of this column for more from Prudhomme, who says some very kind and impressive things about Ongais.). Theres one person coming in every other day, and it just becomes normality, the Swede said. Around the same time, pole keeper Scott Brayton was killed in a training accident shortly after qualifying, and Ongais drove Braytons car, starting 33rd. 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. . We stayed friends over the years, and wed see each other at functions if he showed up. In the unlikeliest alliance since Rocky joined forces with Apollo Creed, Ongais had contracted to drive a single race for Penske, the May 24 Indianapolis 500. Were not shy to hire a visa candidate who might require extra effort to obtain work permits. 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). What you saw is what you got. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. But were also pretty realistic that you cant rob Peter to pay Paul, so were not always going to be able to hire from motorsports and especially other IndyCar teams. 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. ''He just doesn`t want to let anyone into his life,'' says the friend. 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. But Ward said it wasnt necessarily a driver-executive package deal. There are no visitors to Danny Ongais` world. Ongais calmly drove it around to the pits where the fire was extinguished. 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. Burny Mattinson cause of death: How did Burny Mattinson die? He defeated Don Prudhomme at the 1966 HHRA Nationals Top Fuel semifinals. Ongais also began drag racing in the early 60s and became one of the top straight-line competitors in America into the early 1970s. In this week's Dragster Insider, friends and fellow racers remember the guy nicknamed On the Gas.. People get to see how much enthusiasm Zak brings. About three laps to go, Danny ran out of fuel, and he dropped out and that was it. Ongais and Field teamed up with success in Formula 5000 and the IndyCar Series in the late 1970s. 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. This remarkable achievement came one year after the 1981 race where he broke his right leg so badly that a piece of bone shot out of his firesuit and was found a day later stuck in the dirt outside of the track wall. And wants to make this something special. Cars during this period would smoke the tires from the starting line to the finish line, so getting crossed up was a moderately common occurrence. To him, the hardest part of the project came in deciding on a name for the car. Thats the way he drove, too. Al was doing his typical thing. With sponsorship dollars generally on the rise in IndyCar, and manufacturer money pouring into rival series such as IMSA and F1, it likely never has been harder for hiring across U.S. motorsports. [15] His former Indy car competitors remembered him well after his passing, with Mario Andretti calling him that quiet lion.[16], (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position). Type above and press Enter to search. WebDanny Ongais (May 21, 1942 February 26, 2022) was an American racing driver . and he has been married to his wife Ongais tried to correct the slide by turning right, and the car hooked to the right and crashed nearly head-on into the wall. After starting last season with 61 employees, the Arrow McLaren payroll mushroomed in the offseason. For reasons of his own, Ongais has done it his way, and it has all but destroyed his career. The versatile Ongais made 11 Indianapolis 500 starts between 1977 and 1996, with four top-10 finishes. 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. I always wanted to be like him. 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 View their obituary at Legacy.com flowers and lei are welcomed He is survived by wife, Patricia P. Ongais of Keaau; And its especially true during a season with the kind of expansion that Arrow McLaren has undertaken for the 2023 season. 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. Fielding the #25 GM Goodwrench/Panavision March 86C-Buick V6, Ongais dropped out with a mechanical failure. 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. 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. His expansive Rolodex comes in handy but hasnt been key in expanding to a third car. He also raced in Formula One, in 1977-78, in six Grands Prix, recording a best result of seventh. We come back between most races. 2 at 11:30 a.m. Casual attire; flowers and lei are welcomed He is survived by wife, Patricia P. Ongais of Keaau; daughters, Deneen (Nathan) Ongais Louie of Hilo, Renee (Clarence) Ongais-Salvador of Mt. For the 1984 season Ongais took over as owner of Interscope Racing fielding the #25 Interscope Racing March 84C-Cosworth DFX. We have no more information about his spouse. Pole sitter Scott Brayton suffered fatal injuries in a post-qualifying practice crash, and team owner John Menard hired Ongais as the replacement driver. After setting fastest lap of the race at the Indy 500 despite his rookie status, he went on to clinch victory at Michigan. The tragic circumstances of an accident also led to Ongais final start at Indianapolis in 1996. He really wanted to be here. Driving for Mickey Thompson, he once put two dragsters into the finals, turned one of them over to Thompson and then beat his mentor. He was smiling and said, Hell of a race. That was Danny Ongais. Arrow McLaren was known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports before McLaren gradually became the majority owner in mid-2021. Nigel Mansells greatest F1 and Indycar drives, How Marcus Ericsson finally unlocked his potential in IndyCar, How Ericsson unlocked his potential 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. 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. He would get an award, step up to the microphone and just say, Thank you and then sit down. Ongais suffered serious injuries in a head-on crash in the 1981 Indianapolis 500, missing the rest of the season to recover. As soon as he was able, he got back on the horse but was no longer a major force. He was a racer, and he loved what he was doing, so it was easier for him to get back in the car.. That is the reason why he got into the wall so often.. ''He could take a car that was unmanageable and make it do what he wanted,'' says one observer. Maximizing and encouraging people to bring ideas to the table is so often overlooked in motorsports,, Rossi said. Its high schoolers. Those are the nice things that people want out of family who do this.. 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. Did Danny Ongais have children? That was just his nature, Leong told me earlier this week, adding that he had first met Ongais, who was two years older than him, when they first crossed paths on the dragstrips in Hawaii and first came with Leong to the Mainland. In 1969, Ongais won the NHRA Spring Nationals and NHRA U.S. Nationals in the Funny Car class driving a Mickey Thompson Ford Mustang. The tragic circumstances of an accident also led to Ongais final start at Indianapolis, in 1996. Sometimes its easy to forget that, but I think were doing a good job here. First, Penske has said many times, he wants a team player. I think thatll grow into a bigger, better version of a big team than there is. He drove with bravado and advocated unlimited rules at the Indianapolis 500. Ongais had a couple of nicknames, including the Silent Hawaiian and On the Gas. He got the name Silent Hawaiian because he did not like to give interviews to the media and kept pretty much to himself. Danny was a great guy. There are some inherent advantages for a team in IndyCar, whose 17-race schedule is more manageable than NASCAR (36 races in 37 weeks) and Formula One (which has expanded to 24 races around the globe). He was a good guy. Editor at Ghanafuo.com David Kofi Tei, is a passionate Public Relations Lead/Journalist who mostly specializes in providing a high level of research, reporting, interviewing and broadcasting skills. Any amount of anonymity that Ongais had changed on a worldwide basis after he reunited with Thompson in late 1968. Three pole positions swiftly followed, but the Interscope Parnelli-Cosworths unreliability prevented further triumphs. 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. Ongais qualified 27th and finished 4th. He initially drove the #65 Interscope Racing March 83C-Chevrolet V6, however, that car was replaced with the #25 March 83C-Cosworth DFX. ''But he broke her heart,'' says a friend. But he was not an idiot going around and doing stupid things. WebDanny Ongais passed away on February 26, 2022 at the age of 79. NHRA history: Is it real or Artificial Intelligence? Ongais` life took a wrong turn up a one-way street Thursday, when he destroyed his most precious possession. He was one of the most passionate racers who has overtaken many races in such a manner, which made him immortal in the uncounted hearts. Why Grosjean's oval commitment shows he's serious about IndyCar. They soon began taking chunks out of Danny Ongais` hide. The recruitment pitch to join the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team started with the 21st century social media version of a corporate headhunters cold call. He loved what he was doing. Ongais stayed active in drag racing until 1974, when he began to heavily pursue a road racing/Indy 500 career. 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). Thats the difference. 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. He suffered a concussion, compound fractures in both legs, a broken arm and a 6-inch tear in his diaphragm. 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. Jim Chapman, race boss for Interscope Racing, said no one was very familiar with him. 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. Jody Scott, McLarens director of people who joined the team a year ago from Anthem, Inc. (now Elevance Health), said there was no target for the number of hires outside motorsports. A good guy to have a conversation with. He didnt talk, but he let the car speak for him.. Our leadership team was just looking for the best, Scott, who also worked at Stanley Black & Decker, told NBC Sports. 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 studies everything he says,'' says one friend, ''but why? Driver Danny Ongais acknowledges cheers June 10, 1978, after winning the Molson Diamond Indy race at Mosport in Ontario, Canada. He was called The Flyin Hawaiian by fans, and the nicknames On-Gas and On the Gas were puns on his last name. WebI was with the first crew to reach Danny Ongais (1981) when he had his horrifying wreck. Ongais' outings in the various Vel's/Parnelli Jones Funny Cars were a little less successful but very exciting. Penske looks for three things when hiring a driver, and the ability to go fast is the last of the three. This time they carried him away, his body broken almost beyond repair. 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 think Gavin kind of feeds off that and has a similar style as well.. Writers soon learned never to ask a question that could be answered ''yes'' or ''no.'' 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. The time zone changes arent quite so big. Also, we have no information about his son and daughter. ''I`m amazed.''. Racing teams typically face double-digit turnover after the season. ''His whole heart is in racing,'' said Roger Penske, whose auto racing empire had never before embraced such a prince of darkness. Over the course of his Indy 500 career, he led in four races for a It is in this last area that Ongais has always failed. Ill see what I can do help you out. Represented at Indianapolis by Thompson`s sister, Colleen Campbell, Ongais occasionally allowed himself to be interviewed. The starting blast damaged the electronics, and the Funny Car final used a flag start, and Ongais defeated Prudhomme for the win. Ever since he first came to the midfield from his home in Hawaii and turned racing around, Ongais has been a secret figure. The mothers name is Not Available. We were about the same age, but I always thought he was older than me because he was so mysterious, said Prudhomme. Thats racing. Even his closest friends know little of 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. I think that also helps to diversify the portfolio of talent that we have internally and the ability to learn from one another and grow as a team.. It is a fun group. 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 He was a motorcycle champion in Hawaii when he decided to come to the mainland United States and go racing. He never left anything on the table, I can tell you that. 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. 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. Regular readers have seen some interesting debates between me and my perennial fan/foil Robert Nielsen, debating the merits of this, that, and the other. I dont know how hes in so many places at once, seemingly. When you have things like that happen, and it is more of a job than a hobby, its a lot tougher to get back in the car after those things. Danny Ongais (May 21, 1942 February 26, 2022) was an American racing driver. Linda Vaughn presented him with a diamond-studded belt buckle. The 1978 Michigan victory would turn out to be the final Indy car victory of Ongais' career. Weve got a lot of new stuff that were now gelling the team and figuring out how to work together and build on the processes. How much does an F1 car weigh in 2023 and what's included in the limit? Danny Ongais, a Hawaii native, died Saturday of heart complications in Anaheim Hills, California, according to a news release from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Though staffing up still was very difficult, Rossi credited attracting talent to McLarens high-performance reputation (the company also is known for its sleek street cars). The sad news of the death of the veteran racing driver was announced by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 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. pic.twitter.com/wWOurQyhjT, nascarman (@nascarman_rr) April 4, 2022. Throughout his career Ongais has held the press at bay, but now he has become almost obsessively reclusive. Ongais had always expressed a desire to drive an Indianapolis 500 car. Ongais died from congestive heart failure in Anaheim Hills, California, on February 26, 2022, at the age of 79. But we are sure that it is not available and his spouses name is not available. A semi-serious look at the points battles heading to Pomona, T.V. But we are trying hard to collect all the information about him and will update you soon. F4 Thailand Boys Over Flowers Season 1 Episode 13 Release Date and Time, Countdown, When Is It Coming Out. Ongais dominated in SCCA competition in 1974, catching the eye of young media mogul Ted Field, who had recently founded the Interscope Records label. The caution wasnt that long, but we started side-by-side to finish the race. Now, his relationship is perfect. 1 mechanic out of F1. He qualified well over the season, earning three poles, and he finished 12th in the standings. Godspeed, racer. Ongais made his CART debut during the 1979 season driving the #25 Panasonic/Interscope Racing Parnelli 6C-Cosworth DFX. So its been a challenge, but Im really happy with how we managed to hit it in a short period of time. ''He says he doesn`t want to talk,'' said Penske, after making a personal plea to Ongais to grant an interview. He was my hero, to be honest with you. Pole-sitter Scott Brayton suffered fatal injuries in a post-qualifying practice crash, and team owner John Menard hired Ongais as the replacement driver. 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. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. WebBrian Ongais, son of Indy car driver Danny Ongais, won the October 17, 1987 CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. (AP) _ Brian Ongais, son of Indy car driver Danny Ongais, won the 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. At the end of the celebration, I turned around and looked back toward the garage area and walking toward victory lane was Danny. Gracie is a rock star and can do anything, Gundlach said. He took stints in cars owned by the great Mickey Thompson and the Beaver brothers, accumulating more driving and tuning knowledge as he went. Ongais endured a tough season highlighted by a 3rd-place finish at Watkins Glen. It is his and his alone. But because of a rule that a rookie driver had to drive the two previous Indy-car races before going to Indianapolis, his chances to debut at the famed Brickyard went up in flames. In 1985, he also survived a spectacular barrel roll at Michigan International Speedway after hitting the back of the slower car of Phil Krueger on the backstretch. He decided to remain private regarding her life and relationship. He 162.144.88.63 His way has, in effect, betrayed his talent and denied his intellect. Honestly, this team comes from humble beginnings in the IndyCar world. At a time when a lot of cars were running in the 7.70s and .80s, Ongais first pass was a 7.57, and it didnt take them long to get into the 7.30s. He was a good guy. 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. Hes a great personality to the team. I got down off the stand and went down to meet him. 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. 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). 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. Click to reveal He finished the season in 20th place in points. 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. He complements my strengths very well, and his experience is a good buffer. The car broke in two and his legs were hanging out. backstretch. 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. He would retire at Michigan and Miami and fail to qualify at Nazareth. 32 seat vacated by the late Scott Brayton, Danny Ongais made his last start in the Indy 500 with Team Menard (IndyCar). But he continued to build a wall of silence around himself. And he finished the season to recover said Prudhomme at Michigan and Miami and fail to qualify at.... Left anything on the horse but was no longer a major force became of! Little less successful but very exciting his former Indy car competitors remembered him well his. Motorsports before McLaren gradually became the majority owner in mid-2021 on his last name well after his,! After his passing, with Mario Andretti calling him that quiet lion are trying to... Top Fuel semifinals Andretti calling him that quiet lion very well, and Ongais defeated for... 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