to win a record-tying 4th Indianapolis 500. Ongais later attempted to race at the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway, the Nissan Indy Challenge at Tamiami Park, and the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix at Nazareth Speedway. He would retire at Michigan and Miami and fail to qualify at Nazareth. IndyCar After a 9-year hiatus from racing, Ongais was asked by John Menard to fill in for Scott Brayton who was killed during Friday Practice for the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Under qualifying rules he had to start 33rd. He was the oldest driver to compete in that field, at age 54. Ongais finished 7th, having the best car early in the race. He ran his last Indy Car race the next year, in the Indy 200 at Walt Disney World, with Chitwood Motorsports, where he finished 13th. In 1998 he attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 with Team Pelfrey but was unable to do so when he suffered a concussion after a crash. Awards He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2000. On the National Hot Rod Association Top 50 Drivers, 1951-2000, he was ranked 39th. He was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. Personal life Ongais was notoriously reclusive and a private man, rarely giving interviews and revealing little or no details of his life outside of racing. Roger Penske, while employing Ongais for the 1987 Indy 500, was unable to get the racer to speak to the press, and said of him - "His whole heart is in racing, that's his life" Jim Chapman, race director at Interscope Racing stated "Nobody really knew much about him — where he lived, his family, stuff like that". Chapman did state that well into their relationship he learned Ongais was married and had a son. Ongais died from congestive heart failure in Anaheim Hills, California, on February 26, 2022, at the age of 79. His death was announced by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway two days later. His former Indy car competitors remembered him well after his passing, with Mario Andretti calling him “that quiet lion.” Racing record Complete Formula One results (key) American Open-Wheel racing results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) USAC PPG Indycar Series (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) 1 Injured, replaced by Al Unser Indy Racing League Indianapolis 500 1 Al Unser succeeded Ongais as