Danny Ongais

Danny Ongais

Danny Ongais in 1984
Born	(1942-05-21) May 21, 1942 (age 74)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	American
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 (born May 21, 1942) is an American former racing driver.

Ongais is the only native Hawaiian to compete in the Indianapolis 500. A motorcycle, sports car, Formula One, and drag racing competitor, he won the American Hot Rod Association AA Gas Dragster Championship in 1963 and 1964, and in the National Hot Rod Association AA Dragster championship title in 1965.

A flamboyant figure on the racing circuit, Ongais was nicknamed "On-Gas" and "The Flyin' Hawaiian."

In Formula One, Ongais in six Grands Prix, debuting on October 2, 1977, and recorded a best result of seventh. In 1996, at the age of 54, he served as the substitute driver for Scott Brayton in the Indianapolis 500, as Brayton had died in a crash while practicing shortly before the race. Starting last, Ongais finished 7th in what was his final 500.

At the 1981 Indianapolis 500, Ongais was involved in a near-fatal wreck, which caused several arm and leg fractures as well as internal injuries. Four years later, at the Michigan 500, he spun on the exit of turn two and barrel-rolled down the back straight, during a race which had several crashes throughout its duration.

Ongais was born in Kahului, Hawaii. When he was aged 14, he tested out motorbike racing with some success. In the late 1950s, Ongais enlisted in the United States Army as a paratrooper stationed in Europe. He was later discharged and returned to Hawaii for motor racing. Ongais became the Hawaiian motorcycle champion in 1960 and was in the top three positions in the expert class from 1960 to 1962.