Tony Stewart Pens a Beautiful Tribute to His Former IndyCar Teammate Danny Ongais After His Passing

A couple of days ago, news broke that former IndyCar driver Danny Ongais passed away. It is also interesting to note that he used to race in Formula One as well, though his results were not too spectacular. However, he was successful in the USAC Championship and picked up two podiums in IndyCar. Tony Stewart fondly remembered him as his teammate for the 1996 Indy 500.

Ongais was 79 at the time of his death, and he will be sorely missed. The former driver holds a special place in Stewart’s heart because he helped his team and IndyCar in a difficult time. That weekend, the Team Menard outfit was struck by tragedy when Scott Brayton was killed in an accident.

Despite the short notice, the then 54-year-old Ongais hopped into the car and drove the race of his life. Obviously, he started from dead last, as Brayton’s fatal accident happened in qualifying. Nevertheless, Danny Ongais stormed up the pack to finish in a respectable 7th place.

How did Tony Stewart perform in that Indianapolis 500?

Stewart dubbed the late driver as his most memorable IndyCar teammate. It is also worth noting that Ongais’ best finish was 4th place at the Indianapolis 500. Coming back to the 1996 race, while Danny Ongais was at the back of the grid, Tony Stewart was on the other end, on the pole. In the end, poor old Stewart could not finish the race and ended up retiring with an engine issue.

Meanwhile, Ongais scythed his way up the order, despite an early spin. Obviously, it was a minor setback, but the veteran racer simply put his head down and charged. Just like that, he steadily made his way up the pack and into the Top 10. Eventually, Buddy Lazier ended up winning the Indy 500 ahead of Davy Jones and Richie Hearn.

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