14 racing into open-wheel racing, sports cars and even stock cars. Ongais, nicknamed “The Flying Hawaiian,” was a champion motorcycle racer on the islands before coming stateside. His drag racing career began as a crew member on Roland Leong’s team. Once behind the wheel, Ongais drove for Mickey Thompson, with whom he won several drag racing events and set nearly 300 national and international speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Extremely versatile as a drag racer, there were times Ongais drove both a Top Fuel dragster and Funny Car at the same event. A winner in multiple divisions, he was named one of NHRA’s top 50 racers of all-time in 2001. His talent extended to other disciplines where he won six IndyCar races and finished seventh, two spots ahead of Mario Andretti, in the 1977 Canadian Grand Prix for Formula One. Ongais also participated in the 24 Hours of LeMans three times, and he finished seventh, two positions ahead of Dale Earnhardt, in the 1984 International Race of Champions standings. Jack Clark, a four-time All-Star best known for his 10 seasons with the San Francisco Giants, was truly a drag racing fanatic. He listed “Big Daddy” Don Garlits as his sports hero and was a car owner for Ed “Ace” McCulloch and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen. It was his dragster which IHRA Senior Consultant Mike Dunn used to earn his Top Fuel license. On the baseball diamond, Clark led the St. Louis Cardinals to the 1985 World Series with a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was later a teammate of Tony Gwynn with the San Diego Padres and played both for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox during an 18-year career. As a drag racer, Clark was car owner of the Taco Bell dragster which NASCAR and IndyCar veteran John Andretti drove at the 1993 NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta. Andretti scored round wins over defending Top Fuel champion Joe Amato and Tommy Johnson Jr. before losing to Dunn in the semifinals. Clark earned his own Top Fuel license in 1994 and had a short stint behind the wheel after making his debut in Denver.