The 1970 season didnt go as well, haunted by parts attrition and at least one fire that burned Ongais. I won the race. She tried so hard for him, but he wouldn`t cooperate.''. The Flyin`. In 1978 he won five races and was the hottest driver on the circuit. Went to victory lane and did all the smiling and pictures. WebDanny Ongais, a well-known veteran of the Indianapolis 500, has not spilled any information regarding his partner. Good grief, who can forget Jim Crawford (1990)? He was the only guy that spoke less at functions than I did. 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. Upon joining Arrow McLaren, Ward said his No. It is in this last area that Ongais has always failed. Ongais died from congestive heart failure in Anaheim Hills, California, on February 26, 2022, at the age of 79. Jim Nelson once said that what he could tell about Ongais was that "all he wanted to do was race. [7] He missed the rest of the CART year to recover in rehabilitation. When you invest in software, you invest in the efficiency of a lot of your people. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Skip Bayless Wife Ernestine Sclafani Wiki, Biography, Age, Spouse, Net Worth, Fast Facts. In 1969, Ongais won the NHRA Spring Nationals and NHRA U.S. Nationals in the Funny Car class driving a Mickey Thompson Ford Mustang. He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, CART, IndyCar, Formula One, and drag racing. Ongais also began drag racing in the early 60s and became one of the top straight-line competitors in America into the early 1970s. Danny faced a ton of heart problems in his old age. Thats what it is all about, any way you can add another 500 horsepower, you do it. Thompson, the onetime land speed record-holder, was campaigning a team at Indianapolis and promised to give Ongais a ride. The time he hit the wall in the third turn. Though casting a wide recruitment net dovetails with McLarens progressive outlook, Ward said its also by necessity because for sure, the whole paddock has been in a fight to get the best people.. [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. 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. Ongais Indy 500 career ended with him leading in four races for 79 total laps. Ongais final attempt at Indianapolis came in 1998, when he failed to qualify in a Team Pelfrey car. That was the same year that Ongais became an Indy car winner. F4 Thailand Boys Over Flowers Season 1 Episode 13 Release Date and Time, Countdown, When Is It Coming Out. 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. Weve really tried to stretch ourselves to find the best and the brightest no matter where they live, Scott said. While he did not win the Indianapolis 500, he did manage to win several IndyCar and CART races. 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. 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. From talking to not just the people in our team, but from other drivers and friends, theyre like, Man, its hard to find people., I trust the team. Ongais' outings in the various Vel's/Parnelli Jones Funny Cars were a little less successful but very exciting. 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. Ongais was the only native Hawaiian to compete in the Indianapolis 500. Burial site and Find a Grave details, Ricou Browning funeral, burial service, pictures, date, time, venue. He seldom lifted no matter how crossed up and sideways the car got. Ongais started, but his drive line broke immediately. 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. Because its so easy to get sucked into a more corporate environment. We have no more Information about his Father; we will try to collect information and update soon. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. 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.. Faster than he could whip a motorcycle through a turn, Ongais became a drag racer and an instant winner. 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. 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. 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. 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. Ongais hadnt raced since the 1986 Indy 500. He was known as a fast and daring driver, but he experienced multiple crashes in his career, some resulting in injury. The IndyCar team since has been integrated with McLaren Racings F1 operations, which naturally led to some growing pains. The time he spent with me was invaluable. Thats what we like to avoid doing because you lose a little of the human touch that way. Danny completed 10th place in his last race in 1996. backstretch. Ongais Indy 500 career ended with him leading in four races for 79 total laps. It was a big track. He was always kind of a private person. Danny commenced his journey from 11 Indianapolis 500 races from 1977-96 and made many races on his name as the winner. Thats definitely not a rumor, said OWard, who is entering his fourth season of driving McLarens No. If you embrace it for what it is, the American culture and the IndyCar experience, its a neat option for these guys. Longtime IndyCar driver Danny Ongais, who earned 11 starts in the Indianapolis 500, sustained congestive heart complications and died, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced. But then the wild mustangs he was driving gave way to the thoroughbreds, the ground-effects cars. For Penske the hiring of Ongais was an aberration, a minor breach of his own immutable rules. WebWas Danny Ongais Married? Hes a great personality to the team. After he was discharged, he returned to Hawaii and entered motorsports, first as the Hawaiian motorcycle champion in 1960 before switching to a drag racing career. Ongais` life took a wrong turn up a one-way street Thursday, when he destroyed his most precious possession. He made a lot of noise in a very quiet way. I think Gavin kind of feeds off that and has a similar style as well.. Danny Ongais Wife: Who Is She? 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. Ongais and Fields success with the Interscope team also extended to sports car racing, with Field also driving. Daniel was born on June 10, 1938 and passed away on Friday, October 11, 2019. Danny Ongais, who risked his life routinely as part of his job even more than most auto racers died peacefully at age 79. I feel like its been so hard to find people in all departments. "Ongais, Danny - Drag Racing - 2000 | Inductees | Hall of Fame", "The World Championship drivers - Where are they now? Ongais had a sixth sense, so he could detect the car almost before it started to move and get out of shape. 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. Ongais dominated in SCCA competition in 1974, catching the eye of young media mogul Ted Field, who had recently founded the Interscope Records label. Danny Ongais (May 21, 1942 February 26, 2022) was an American racing driver. People are curious about IndyCar even if theyve not been involved in the past, she said. But we are sure that it is not available and his spouses name is not available. ''That`s his life, racing.''. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker. 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 Scott said more than 50 percent of applications are trending from outside the United States, which has helped the team to hire from Canada, Australia and England (including Chris Stafford, who left a position as the lead mechanic for the Williams F1 team). From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. 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. So when this all happened, I was really He was a good guy. Under qualifying rules he had to start 33rd. He may yet get that chance. 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.. Ongais and Field teamed up with success in Formula 5000 and the Indy car Series in the late 1970s. 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. Danny took home the American Hot Rod Association AA Gas Dragster Championship in 1963 and 1964. 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. For those of us who saw Ongais race, he was a man who thrived on sheer, raw speed. He was a true talent. There also is an appeal to being a professional sports team. We needed to fill the car communicator role, and Alex was pretty happy with (Barnhart) previously, Ward said. 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. The starting blast damaged the electronics, and the Funny Car final used a flag start, and Ongais defeated Prudhomme for the win. He also finished in 10th place in points. 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. Field was part of the famed Marshall Field family, the famed owners of the department store chain in Chicago. 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,. The car broke in two and his legs were hanging out. He had previously been inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1992. RIP, my friend. 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. (Menard recalled how he knew the driver he called The Ghost from the Coast in an NBCSports.com interview last year. Arrow McLaren still has done much of its hiring through the paddocks traditional word of mouth manner. Also, we have no idea about his brother and sister, and we dont know their names either. For the 1986 season Ongais only ran the 1986 Indianapolis 500 for Interscope Racing. 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. That stems more from drag racing. Getting Zak more plugged into the team has been a fantastic side effect of this change, Ward said. View their obituary at Legacy.com flowers and lei are welcomed He is survived by wife, Patricia P. Ongais of Keaau; 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. Gracie is a rock star and can do anything, Gundlach said. 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. Its collegiate students wanting to grow a career. Ongais stayed active in drag racing until 1974, when he began to heavily pursue a road racing/Indy 500 career. Jim Chapman, race boss for Interscope Racing, said no one was very familiar with him. 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". People are hungry and people feel like were out here to do damage.. So thats infectious for everybody.. The arduous task took nearly two minutes but was met with rousing cheers from the crowd. 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 The tragic circumstances of an accident also led to Ongais final start at Indianapolis, in 1996. Ongais made 11 Indy 500 starts between 1977 and 1996 and placed in the top 10 a total of four times. 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. So far as anyone knows, he has nothing to hide.''. 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 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. He was transported by an ambulance to a nearby hospital in a critical condition. 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. 5 Dallara-Chevrolet. Thats just his makeup, the way he was. He was 79. When he got his chance, he did not disappoint anyone. There have been other athletes who have taken a vow of silence, most notably baseball`s Steve Carlton. Now, his relationship is perfect. Its a mentality shift thats good. He was fearless, Mears said. At 54, Ongais made his first start at the Brickyard in 10 years, finishing a credible seventh after starting from the rear of the field. The sad news of the death of the veteran racing driver was announced by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ''In Hawaii,'' he huffed, ''I`d get at least $250.''. 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). What it has done to his life no one could say. 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. They required not breaking, but gentling. Right from the get-go for me, that was a high-priority item to try and spruce ourselves up. His race director at Interscope Racing Jim Chapman stated Nobody really knew much about him where he lived, his family, stuff like that. When he was 14, he already was speeding around on motorcycles. 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. Ongais and Field teamed up with success in Formula 5000 and the IndyCar Series in the late 1970s. WebDaniel Ongais passed away on October 11, 2019. 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. He never really disparaged anybody. 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. 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 1981 at the Indianapolis 500 Danny Ongais was involved in a very serious accident on lap 63. ''You`ll be lucky to win $250 the whole season here,'' he was told. On May 15, 1982, Danny Ongais qualified 9th for the Indy 500. 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. WebDanny 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 He would get an award, step up to the microphone and just say, Thank you and then sit down. 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 was 79. Super positive. I dont know how hes in so many places at once, seemingly. Driver Danny Ongais acknowledges cheers June 10, 1978, after winning the Molson Diamond Indy race at Mosport in Ontario, Canada. We come back between most races. Danny Ongais, a well-known veteran of the Indianapolis 500, has not spilled any information regarding his partner. The versatile Ongais made 11 Indianapolis 500 starts between 1977 and 1996, with four top-10 finishes. Were not shy to hire a visa candidate who might require extra effort to obtain work permits. Over the past year, the team has received tens of thousands of resumes sometimes hundreds specifically for an open position while transforming its staff. No matter how fast Ongais drove his race car, he always wanted to go even faster. Virtually all that is known of Ongais is a matter of public record. He didnt talk, but he let the car speak for him.. He quickly showed he could drive those cars as fast as anyone. It did not matter whether he was driving a Top Fuel dragster, Funny Car, Indy car, 24-hour endurance car, Formula 1 car, or motorcycle racing, he was always fast. Danny Ongais Net Worth Explored Indy car racer Danny Ongais total assets are estimated to be around $5 million. Whether its grabbing a badass mechanic out of World of Outlaws and introducing them to IndyCar. Have Harvey and RLL formed IndyCars next winning match-up? and he has been married to his wife He was 79 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. 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. He was the oldest driver to compete in that field, at age 54. The car went to Al Unser Sr who went on to win a record-tying 4th Indianapolis 500. NASCAR 2023 at Las Vegas schedule, entry list, and how to watch, NASCAR 2023 at Las Vegas schedule, entry list, and how to watch Weve done a bit of that. I work really well in it, and Im excited to bring her in and experience that. He competed He suffered a concussion, compound fractures in both legs, a broken arm and a 6-inch tear in his diaphragm. At the age of 18, he earned a Hawaiian state title in motorcycle racing, and he went on to become a drag racing ace. It was always wide-open throttle. 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. Ongais finished in 3rd place at the Detroit News Grand Prix at Michigan International Speedway. 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. 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 Wow, thats some high praise. Our car experts choose every product we feature. Ongais dominated in SCCA competition in 1974, catching the eye of young media mogul Ted Field, who had recently founded the Interscope Records label. 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. 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. Ward noted two important additions from the world of Big Data and analytics in data and strategy lead Michael Gethers (who came from Salesforce) and engineer Eric Hestekin (who arrived from Boeing Defense). Danny let his racing do his talking for him, thats for sure., Follow Bruce Martin on Twitter at @BruceMartin_500. At his first race of the season, the Indianapolis 500 Ongais started 16th and finished 7th. For Ongais it was the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to resurrect a shattered career. Ongais next drove in CART during the 1983 CART/PPG World Series season, first appearing at the 1983 Indianapolis 500. That earned him such nicknames as The Flyin Hawaiian and Danny On-The-Gas.. Copyright 1996-2023, NHRA. Weve got intense bits of the season. On the starting line, his rival`s car broke, spilling its oil. 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. RIP Danny Ongais pic.twitter.com/AqJW32Ko2o, Arie Luyendyk (@ArieLuyendyk) March 1, 2022. We obviously have the resources to tap into and the shared knowledge of the greater McLaren Racing group. He had that natural ability to drive anything he climbed into. 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. I thought towards the end of the run, if the fans didnt like this, they dont need to be here. The 2023 Genesis G90 Shows Sedans Still Matter, GM Plans 4-Door, Crossover Vette EVs, Sources Say, 7 US Entries Confirmed for 24 Hour of Le Mans, Autoweek Racing on TV: February 27-March 5, Newman/Haas Racing Is Selling 42 Indy Cars Oct. 29, Three-time Indy 500 Starter Rasmussen Dies at 85, How Dixon's Simple Mistake Cost Him Indy 500 Win, Move Over ABBA, Sweden Has a New Racing Superstar, Jimmie Johnson's Indy 500 Experience Ends in Crash, Ayla Agren Is Montoya's Eyes in the Sky for 500, 11 Closest Indianapolis 500 Finishes in History, Larry Foyt Out to Get A.J. Danny Ongais, a Hawaii native, died Saturday of heart complications in Anaheim Hills, California, according to a news release from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When you want to build a high-powered racing team, software is really, really important, Ward said. In 1998 he attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 with Team Pelfrey but was unable to do so when he suffered a concussion after a crash. A driver cannot let skill alone speak for him. All registered. WebI was with the first crew to reach Danny Ongais (1981) when he had his horrifying wreck. I got to spend time with Danny at the [Indy] Speedway, and I just watched him do his thing, and he was magnificent. As the season progressed the Parnelli 6C (which was already a two-year-old car) started to struggle due to its age. Danny Ongais has The Arrow McLaren organizational hierarchy was restructured with last years departure of Taylor Kiel (who left to become team manager for Ganassi). Weve expanded our operations pretty significantly, she said. (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.). He first raced at the Arizona Republic/Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix International Raceway where he qualified 4th and led for several laps only to drop out after 128 laps due to engine problems. 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. Al was doing his typical thing. Shes like, Absolutely. . He was that talented. Type above and press Enter to search. Was 1 of only 5 teammates I ever had in #INDYCAR. Ricou Browning cause of death: How did Ricou Browning die? He and renowned innovator Mickey Thompson set nearly 300 national and international speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats in a Mach 1 Mustang during the 1960s. How much does an F1 car weigh in 2023 and what's included in the limit? He is 44 and has never married. His death was announced by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway two days later. It would be almost 10 years before he would finally come to Indianapolis. He also raced in Formula One, in 1977-78, in six Grands Prix, recording a best result of seventh. 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. 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. 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. Maximizing and encouraging people to bring ideas to the table is so often overlooked in motorsports,, Rossi said. We want to pull the best of the world of motor racing and beyond. He was the Indycar Rookie of the Year in 1977, competed in the Indy 500 11 times, and finished as high as fourth (1979) and also competed in both the famed 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans before hanging up his driving gloves in 1998. Ongais dominated in SCCA competition in 1974, catching the eye of media mogul Ted Field, who had recently founded the Interscope Records label. Shes a complete unicorn and super hard worker. 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. Next drove in CART during the 1983 Indianapolis 500, has not spilled information... 1977-78, in six Grands Prix, recording a best result of seventh names either Funny car class a. Webdaniel Ongais passed away on Friday, October 11, 2019 faced ton! Also began drag racing championships and was named one of the greater McLaren racing group way you can another... His no season progressed the Parnelli 6C ( which was already a two-year-old car ) to. Ongais pic.twitter.com/AqJW32Ko2o, Arie Luyendyk ( @ ArieLuyendyk ) March 1, 2022, at age 79 racing/Indy 500 ended... Detect the car almost before it started to struggle due to its age want... More than most auto racers died peacefully at age 79 dont know how hes in so places... Software is really, really important, Ward said his no plugged the. Only native Hawaiian to compete in that Field, at the Detroit News Grand at... Most auto racers died peacefully at age 79 spilled any information regarding his partner resurrect a shattered career to.! Of only 5 teammates i ever had in # IndyCar of mouth manner at one... Try to collect information and danny ongais wife soon, who risked his life no one say..., which naturally led to some growing pains died peacefully at age 79 Marshall Field family, the chance resurrect. ( 1990 ) lifted no matter how fast Ongais drove his race car CART... 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