Danny Ongais is a racing driver from United States who last raced in Formula 1 for Ensign. Ongais has recorded 0 wins and 0 podiums from 4 starts.[1]
A Racer Rating of 4,190 ranks Ongais 932th of 15,348 indexed drivers, on an Elo scale where the strongest reach the low five figures. It is built from every indexed race in the driver's file, decayed for time since their last race.
| 1978-01-29 | Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet | DNF | −63 |
| 1978-01-15 | Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez | DNF | −95 |
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Podiums | DNFs | Poles | Points | Pos | Gain/Loss | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | ▸Formula 1 | Ensign | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | P22 | −158 | 4,190 |
| 1977 | ▸Formula 1 | Penske | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | P22 | −30 | 4,316 |
Danny Ongais was an American racing driver whose recorded career comprised four Formula 1 starts between 1977 and 1978, all with Ensign. He did not score a point or finish on the podium in the championship. His brief time in the sport came against the field of the late 1970s, and while he remained unclassified in those races more often than not, he nevertheless finished ahead of several drivers of considerable standing; among them were Riccardo Patrese, a Bronze-graded professional; Gilles Villeneuve; and Mario Andretti, a former champion. These results were individual occurrences rather than patterns of competitive edge, given the limited sample.[1]
Ongais raced for a team with no wins in the championship across its entire history. Ensign fielded a roster of 25 drivers during its operation, the strongest of them Clay Regazzoni; the team's record reflects the challenge faced by drivers competing within it. Ongais's average finishing position across his classified starts places him in the middle of the field for his era, though his career in Formula 1 was too brief to establish a clear trajectory.[2]
His presence in the record and the retrospective coverage following his death in 2022 point to a racing career that extended well beyond his single-seater appearances, encompassing drag racing and Indianapolis 500 competition where his name became more firmly established in American motorsport history.