'Flyin' Hawaiian' Danny Ongais has passed away

©NormMacleod

Four-time Grand Prix starter and IndyCar driver Danny Ongais passed away last weekend from heart failure at 79.

Motor racing hasn't had too many drivers hailing from the paradise islands of Hawaii, but Ongas was one of them. And a charger he was, often referred to as Danny 'On-Gas' or 'The Flying Hawaiian'.

Ongais started his career in single-seaters in F5000 at the late age of 33 thanks to benefactor Ted Field and to the American entrepreneur's Interscope company.

Two years later, Ongais was entered by Field in a Penske PC4 in F1's 1977 North-American races. He retired at Watkins Glen but finished a fine seventh at Mosport.

He further acquainted himself with F1 in 1978, running with Ensign in the Argentina and Brazilian GPs but failed to finish both races.

Field acquired a more up-to-date Shadow DN9 for the US Grand Prix West at Long Beach but the Hawaiian hotshoe could not come to grips with the car or the track as he failed to make the grid.

A similar fate awaited Ongais a few months later at Zandvoort, marking an end to his adventures in F1.

But Danny 'On-Gas' also applied his skills to good effect in IndyCar in which he enjoyed 11 starts at the Indy 500 between 1977 and 1996, snatching a career best at the Brickyard onboard his #25 Interscope entry in 1979 when he finished fourth.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.