Danny Ongais

Danny Ongais
Ongais at the 1984 Pocono 500
Nationality	American
Born	Ezekiel Ongais (1942-05-21)May 21, 1942[a] Kahului, Hawaii, U.S.
Died	February 26, 2022(2022-02-26) (aged 79) Anaheim, California, U.S.
Awards
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2000)
Champ Car career
86 races run over 14 years
Years active	1968, 1971, 1976-1987
Best finish	6th – 1979
First race	1976 California 500 (Ontario)
Last race	1987 Nissan Indy Challenge (Miami)
First win	1977 Norton 200 (Michigan)
Last win	1978 Gould Grand Prix (Michigan)
Wins Podiums Poles 6 8 11
IndyCar Series career
2 races run over 3 years
Best finish	26th – 1996
First race	1996 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last race	1997 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World (Orlando)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 0
Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1977 – 1978
Teams	Ensign, non-works Penske, Shadow
Entries	6 (4 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1977 United States Grand Prix
Last entry	1978 Dutch Grand Prix

Danny Ongais (May 21, 1942^[a] – February 26, 2022) was an American racing driver.^[1]

Ongais was the only Hawaiian born driver to compete in the Indianapolis 500. He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, CART, IndyCar, Formula One, and drag racing. A fearless figure on the racing circuit, Ongais was nicknamed "On-the-Gas" and "The Flyin' Hawaiian."^[2] He is the only driver to have won the NHRA U.S. Nationals and the 24 Hours of Daytona.

In the 1960s he won multiple drag racing championships and was named one of the National Hot Rod Association’s Top 50 Drivers for 1951-2000. 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. He also raced in Formula One from 1977-78, in six Grands Prix, recording a best result of seventh.

He was known as a fast and daring driver, but he experienced multiple crashes in his career, some resulting in injury. At the 1981 Indianapolis 500, he was involved in a near-fatal accident that caused him to miss almost a year of racing.

In 1996, at the age of 54, after nine years away from racing, he served as the substitute driver in the Indianapolis 500 for Scott Brayton, who had died in a crash before the race. Starting last, Ongais finished 7th in what was his final 500.

He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2000 and the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.^[3]

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