Danny ongais was a sixtime indycar race winner who added a certain glamour to the sport. I remember when he was best known as being the driver of the flyin hawaiian funny car when i was first interested in motorsports. Slingshot veteran danny ongais got dual center supports behind his. Home news drivers cars tracks seasons and races countries and states records day in history nonchampionship. Eventually we would like to have the names and numbers of everyone in every division who drove fuel funny cars between the year nhra started issuing licenses 1966 and 1979. The car was damaged in a practice crash and danny was substitued by another car and driver al. Doctors repaired a sixinch tear today in the diaphragm of danny ongais, the race driver injured in a crash during yesterdays indianapolis 500. Danny ongas ongais, age 73 he has a resume that takes a few breaths to say, but danny ongais was never one for words. They also entered a mach 1 in funny car, racking up national event wins with fords 427 overheadcam engine under the fliptop. The two cars were a dominant force in 1969, and the mickey thompson cars left their mark wherever they went. However, to the folks who ran them, these floppers were anything but obscure. The flyin hawaiian has earned the reputation as someone who can drive nearly any type of race car as hard as it can possibly be driven. Always amazed me that he kept racing at the 500 after 3 bad accidents, especially the one where we all thought he was done for. The mustang shell was added after they burned this one off.
Mickey thompson mach 1 danny ongais 8x12 nhra mustang funny car photo 2. The car was the sister car to the one danny ongais drove. Trammell made his mark in 81 after an ambulance brought the broken body of driver danny ongais. This run and the many victories put gary dyer into number four spot. Mazmanian raced it with danny ongais behind the wheel. Long writeuprehash on f1 rejects, including audio of danny in 1978. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. Danny ongais vels parnelli jones mustang funny car.
Motor speedway, was named car craft funny car driver of the year. Indy car and offroad racing icon parnelli jones bought the cuda funny car, and along with partner dealership vels ford, campaigned it through 1974 with ongais continuing as driver. Mt was fresh off the great year he enjoyed with danny ongais. Some 70s funny cars, by virtue of having been raced infrequently andor for a short period of time, having only been raced locally, etc. Following a fire they switched to a mustang body more befitting a ford dealershipsponsored race car. He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, formula one, and drag. Division 7 nhra funny car drivers numbers 1966 1979.
In 1968, he redesigned the funny car, and went on to win the 1969 nhra spring nationals and nhra u. Pat foster drove the red car above and danny ongais handled the very similar blue car. Danny ongais nhra fan apparel and souvenirs for sale ebay. Pat foster and the mickey thompson mustang tom bonner. In 1965 danny became the first driver to exceed 200mph on a european track. Race car drivers and indiana farmers are a lot alike, trammell said thursday. Before he became a championship indycar racer, danny ongais cut his. Mickey thompson was well known as a racer, track operator, and car owner. Doc trammells a hero, make no bones about it orlando. In 1969, mickey thompson owned the two hottest funny cars in the country. Get the best deals on danny ongais photo nhra fan apparel and souvenirs when you shop the largest online selection at.
Danny ongais born 21 may 1942 is an american former racing driver. The following fcs represent some of the forgotten funny cars from the 70s with what. This week we turn to joe sherk, a longtime public relations expert and dave densmore, whom everyone in the nhra world knows as the man who helped a young upstart funny car driver named john force. Driver danny ongais 1978 usac champ car series results. In 1957, at the tender age of 14, danny ongais was already racing motorcycles in the dirt of his native kahului, maui, hawaii. The film focuses on legendary hawaiian driver danny ongais who races a ford mustang funny car powered by a modified v8 engine producing a mighty 1500 hp. Behling had worked as a mechanic and back up driver for arnie beswick and eddie schartman, but the job. He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, formula one, and drag racing a flamboyant figure on the racing circuit, ongais was nicknamed ongas and the flyin hawaiian. Beckman and crew chief jimmy prock shook up the funny car ranks in mid2015, moving the needle on what had been a stagnant performance barrier and not. The flyin hawaiian has earned the reputation as someone who can drive nearly any type of race car as hard. So new, they had no lettering, no decals, not even the drivers name. Driver danny ongais buckling himself into blue mach 1 ford. The other new funny cars had just broken into the eights.
Danny ongais at mosport canadian gp in 1977, in the interscope penske. Pete everetts chrysler powered cougar exdee keaton funny car. Not sure if danny ongais shoed this ride, as he did their mustang. While working as a crewmember for fellow hawaiian drag racer, roland leong on the mainland, ongais caught the attention of famed racer, car. Driver, builder and tuner pat foster passes hot rod.
Known as the silent hawaiian or the silent one for his quiet demeanor, danny ongais let his driving talents on the race track do the talking for him, earning a reputation as one of the most talented and versatile drivers in all of auto racing. They had one of the, if not the best car that weekend at indy proving once again that they were contenders wherever they showed up. Pat foster built the blue 427 sohc powered mustang as well as a red twin that he drove himself. Take a look back in time at the top 10 mustang funny cars. Inner and outer aluminium and magnesium panels, car weighs only 1,845 pounds or about three hundred pounds less than thompsons highly successful conventional 1969 mustang funny cars. Danny ongais at the wheel of mickey thompsons mach1. Ongais, who hasnt driven an indy car since he was injured before the 1987 indy 500, was picked as a substitute driver by car owner john menard on sunday, the final day of qualifications for the may 26 race. Danny ongais, who has not raced seriously since 1987 when he crashed hard and missed the indianapolis 500, will be in scott braytons car in next sundays indy 500. Before he turned heads at the indy 500, danny ongais was a funny car driver, just as are ron capps, cruz and tony pedregon and gary scelzi, all of whom have been spending time going in circles, often in real competition. Satterlee turned don tates soso funny car and his rookie driver craig epperly to an upset win at the 1981 springnationals tate had some moxie in naming the car super star before it ever was. So, avid readers, tell me, which was the first paint job. Driver danny ongais buckling himself into blue mach 1 ford mustang funny car, donning protective gas mask, goggles, helmet, gloves at indianapolis raceway driver getting into tony pizzi automotive. Danny ongais the champ car and indy car online stats. He also started four grands prix, raced at le mans and won the daytona 24 hours.
Throughout the 2016 season, nhra will celebrate 50 years of the funny. Rich siroonian, ultratalented gasser and funny car driver passes drag racings first 220mph flopper pilot. In 1968 ongais teamed with thompson to set 295 speed and endurance records for ford at the bonneville salt flats and tried his hand at usac championship car racing, having his first ride at hanford calif. Get the best deals on danny ongais nhra fan apparel and souvenirs when you shop the largest.
Driver, builder and tuner pat foster passes a personal reflection on the life and legend of drag racer, builder and tuner pat foster who passed away march 28th. David benisek dave boertman bill myer danny ongais national dragster nov 1972. Dec 30, 2014 this pin was discovered by danny davis. Profile for racing driver danny ongais from united states. Ongais had gained famed as a top ranked dragster driver.
Click on the site to see danny ongais s career results at that track glossary. Both were fliptop mustangs, powered by ford 427 sohc v8s. Recognized as the top competition driver there in 1961, ongais decided to move to california to become a fulltime driver as the opportunities proved far greater on the mainland. The cars were lighter than their competition, which gave them a distinct advantage over the other funny cars during the first half of the season. A motorcycle, sports car, formula one, and drag racing competitor, in 1963 and 1964 ongais won the american hot. Danny ongais born may 21, 1942 in kahului, maui island, hawaii is a former racecar driver from the united states. During a career that encompassed five decades, danny ongais earned nicknames that aptly defined his personality, temperament and style. Danny ongais photo nhra fan apparel and souvenirs ebay. Heres a look back at some memorable funny car images from the. He is the only native hawaiian to compete at the indianapolis 500.
He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, formula one, and drag racing. Ongais, danny drag racing 2000 inductees hall of fame. I have always been intrigued by danny ongais i remember him first as a drag racer, so i was always rooting for him by the time his usac champ car career took off his best season was 78, but i dont remember much until around early 80s when he started competing at indy. Ongais is the only native hawaiian to compete in the indianapolis 500. Many wont remember but danny ongais drove for penske in 1987. Danny ongais born may 21, 1942 is an american former racing driver. I know we have a few fchatters that worked in around champ car in the past. From 1966, the first year of the class, through 1979, there were more than 500 licensed funny car drivers competing at nhra events. Shelby has originally started the 1971 usac program for former funny car drag racing star danny ongais until a prerace practice crash at phoenix, and after ongais resigned, grant was selected as the replacement driver.
Danny ongais born may 21, 1942 is an american former racing driver ongais is the only native hawaiian to compete in the indianapolis 500. Rich siroonian, ultratalented gasser and funny car driver. The success was expected to last but 1970 was a bust for thompson. Theres a reason why these stangs ruled drag racing in the 60s. Funny cars ken mclean source by eymansays funny car drag racing, funny cars. Before he became legendary for land speed efforts and his innovative indy cars, mickey thompson was a drag racer.
Ongais knew that any driver seated in a roger penskeprepared car has a chance to be the anointed one come race day. A flamboyant figure on the racing circuit, ongais was nicknamed ongas and the flyin hawaiian. In his long career, thompson raced vehicles from stock cars to offroad, and engineered numerous competition engines. For his accomplishments at the strip, ongais was named as number 39 on the list of the 50 top drivers when the nhra celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 1969, the pair debuted a new lightweight transition style chassis mustang. Yep, its ongais, and this car preceded the mustang. See more ideas about race cars, car humor, drag racing. Get the best deals on danny ongais nhra fan apparel and souvenirs when you shop the largest online selection. Jack chrismans 70 mustang funny, the last conventional funny he ever drove.