We obviously have the resources to tap into and the shared knowledge of the greater McLaren Racing group. He has also interviewed a plethora of sporting personalities. 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. The Flying Hawaiin led a very secretive life outside the racing world its known that Ongais had a wife but it is said h had a son who is unidentified for now. When he returned to his home state, he realized that his motorsports future was limited by the dearth of racetracks there, and he crossed the Pacific to the Mainland with fellow Hawaiian Roland Leong, where they both found employment with the Dragmaster team, then one of the most successful and prolific builders of dragster chassis. But he was not an idiot going around and doing stupid things. His racing career was paused as he served a three-year stint in the U.S. Army, where he became an elite Airborne paratrooper. He was a good guy. ", "Danny Ongais | Racing career profile | Driver Database", "Daytona 24 Hours 1979 - Race Results - Racing Sports Cars", "Remembering One Of The Most Terrifying Crashes In Indy 500 History", "Indy 500 lineup set; Ongais to take over Brayton's car", "Popular Indianapolis 500 Veteran Ongais Dies at 79", "IndyCar legends remember Danny Ongais: 'The Flyin' Hawaiian' at the Indy 500", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Danny_Ongais&oldid=1141645826, International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. First, Penske has said many times, he wants a team player. 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. 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. 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. 4. For the next seven races, Ongais replaced an injured Johnny Rutherford at Patrick Racing, who had been driving the #40 Sea Ray Boats Wildcat Mk 9-Cosworth DFX. WebDanny Ongais passed away on February 26, 2022 at the age of 79. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Skip Bayless Wife Ernestine Sclafani Wiki, Biography, Age, Spouse, Net Worth, Fast Facts. 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. 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. Danny Ongais cause of death was heart disease, not an accident Danny Ongais, the Hawaiian driver respected by fans and contenders alike for his speed and bravery north of a three-decade vocation, died February 26 in Anaheim. 1 mechanic out of F1. Why Kyle Kirkwood is America's new IndyCar ace-in-waiting, Why Kirkwood is USA's ace-in-waiting Ongais dominated in SCCA competition in 1974, catching the eye of young media mogul Ted Field, who had recently founded the Interscope Records label. To him, the hardest part of the project came in deciding on a name for the car. Interscope then bought a new Shadow chassis for him to race but he was unable to qualify at Long Beach and also in the Netherlands later in the season. He was direct. INDIANAPOLIS Danny Ongais, the first and highest-finishing Hawaiian starter at the Indy 500, also might have been one of the hardest chargers in the races storied history. They teamed up with the legendary Hurley Haywood to win the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 1979 in the Interscope Porsche 935 prototype. 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. By 1963, Ongais had his own gas dragster, a supercharged 371 Chevy-powered budget machine cobbled together from castoff parts from other teams and manufacturers and won the AHRA Winter Championships in both 1963 and 1964. That attitude often got him in trouble, though. This time they carried him away, his body broken almost beyond repair. When he got his chance, he did not disappoint anyone. 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. 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 competed But he continued to build a wall of silence around himself. 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. But we are sure that it is not available and his spouses name is not available. Weve expanded our operations pretty significantly, she said. Represented at Indianapolis by Thompson`s sister, Colleen Campbell, Ongais occasionally allowed himself to be interviewed. If you embrace it for what it is, the American culture and the IndyCar experience, its a neat option for these guys. Though rivals such as Penske, Ganassi and Andretti Autosport hold pretty tight to their total rewards packages, Scott said Arrow McLaren annually surveys its employees about benefits. So quiet, so humble and so fast ! He quickly showed he could drive those cars as fast as anyone. Russian Colonel Alexander Bespalov cause of death cause of death, wife, children, net worth, funeral, obituary, Cathal Coughlan cause of death, wife, children, Microdisney and The Fatima Mansions. 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. 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. 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. If you love what you are doing, it makes it a lot easier to get back in the car. Shes a complete unicorn and super hard worker. The Flyin`. Rosenqvist, driver of the No. But auto racing is unlike any other sport. Danny Ongais competed in 11 Indianapolis 500 starts, completing mostly good times between 1977 and 1996. Danny Ongais was my hero, Mears told NBC Sports. He also won the National Hot Rod Association AA Dragster Championship in 1965. ''What happened?'' Racing teams typically face double-digit turnover after the season. 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. 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. Under qualifying rules he had to start 33rd. 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. He entered the season with the Ensign team, in a year-old N177 chassis, and retired in Argentina and Brazil with brake problems. Ongais final attempt at Indianapolis came in 1998, when he failed to qualify in a Team Pelfrey car. Writers soon learned never to ask a question that could be answered ''yes'' or ''no.'' He was fearless, Mears said. A fearless figure on the racing circuit, Ongais was nicknamed "On-Gas" and "The Flyin' Hawaiian."[1]. He got his licks in. He was 79. 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. Ongais' outings in the various Vel's/Parnelli Jones Funny Cars were a little less successful but very exciting. Danny Ongais, who risked his life routinely as part of his job even more than most auto racers died peacefully at age 79. He could cut a light and get down any track.. Ongais and Field teamed up with success in Formula 5000 and the IndyCar Series in the late 1970s. 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. 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. Fielding the #25 GM Goodwrench/Panavision March 86C-Buick V6, Ongais dropped out with a mechanical failure. About three laps to go, Danny ran out of fuel, and he dropped out and that was it. Sometimes its easy to forget that, but I think were doing a good job here. He was known as a fast and daring driver, but he experienced multiple crashes in his career, some resulting in injury. 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. He was a racer. 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. And wants to make this something special. So thats infectious for everybody.. Were not where we want to be right now, but thats normal. 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. 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. pic.twitter.com/X4ZqLkQY4w, Tony Stewart (@TonyStewart) February 28, 2022. He did things that guys like me only dream about doing. While deployed in Europe in the early 1960s, he also got his first taste of sports-car racing that would become one of his many fortes later in his career. He was 79. Ongais died from congestive heart failure in Anaheim Hills, California, on February 26, 2022, at the age of 79. Some of the new faces are at the very top. 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. Good grief, who can forget Jim Crawford (1990)? Funny Car icon Bruce Larson: NHRA's original triple-threat Pro driver, Frank Mancuso: Some good trips and some bad ones for the 'Travel Agent' driver. There also is an appeal to being a professional sports team. Its like nothing Ive ever seen before.. I had probably the best race other than the one I had with AJ Foyt in 1974, but Danny and I were racing at Michigan in 1978, Rutherford told NBC Sports. Getting Zak more plugged into the team has been a fantastic side effect of this change, Ward said. 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. . 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). All the world was a colorful Circus when Bob Gerdes painted race cars, Top Fuel dynasties: Torrence, Schumacher, Dixon, Garlits, Amato, Shirley, Beck, Some top-shelf books that every drag racing history fan should check out, Yeah, but what if? He was a motorcycle champion in Hawaii when he decided to come to the mainland United States and go racing. 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. He finished runner-up to Mike Snively in the Top Fuel class at the 1966 NHRA U.S. Nationals after beating the legendary Don The Snake Prudhomme in the semifinals at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Ongais is the main Hawaiian to compete in Hustlings Greatest Show. Danny was a great guy. Danny Ongais had a net wort estimated at $5 million dollars. 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 was known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports before McLaren gradually became the majority owner in mid-2021. Faster than he could whip a motorcycle through a turn, Ongais became a drag racer and an instant winner. [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. Godspeed, racer. 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. Tommy Ivo and the five-second Top Fuel run that ignited a controversy, Wheelie neat! He would retire at Michigan and Miami and fail to qualify at Nazareth. On May 15, 1982, Danny Ongais qualified 9th for the Indy 500. Ongais was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2000 in the Drag Racing category. Also, we have no information about his son and daughter. The team also has been aggressive outside racing. No matter how fast Ongais drove his race car, he always wanted to go even faster. 5 Dallara-Chevrolet. He really was. Type above and press Enter to search. 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]. 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. 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. 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. His first Indy car race was the 1976 California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway, where he finished 28th after a crash. Ongais raced and drove a number of Top Fuel cars in those years, including this cool-looking winged slingshot at the 1972 Winternationals. 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. How Liberty is "playing long game" to help F1 teams make money, Nigel Mansells greatest F1 and Indycar drives, Nigel Mansells greatest drives Ongais, racing at age 54 in his first 500 since 1986, finished a creditable seventh after starting from the rear of the field. The caution wasnt that long, but we started side-by-side to finish the race. Hes a great personality to the team. 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