A terrible tragedy could have ended the Indianapolis 500 race, which took place in 1981 at the Indiana Motor Speedway. Sports tells how the fight for a clean environment almost killed an entire team.
Fatal pit stop
The Indianapolis 500 race, or simply «Indy 500», is the oldest regular auto race on the planet. It has been held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1911. Motorsport fans know that its prestige is comparable to the 24 Hours of Le Mans or the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.
In 1981, this start almost ended in death. American driver Rick Mears pitted on the 58th lap. Literally a second later, the team panicked. The mechanics ran away in horror, leaving the pilot in the car. Mears still managed to get out of the car, he waved his arms, rushed to the fire extinguisher and tried to point it at himself. What really happened? It is impossible to understand at first.
As it turned out, methanol was often used as a fuel in motorsports back then. Commonly known as methyl alcohol. It is much cheaper than gasoline and causes much less harm to the environment. Internal combustion engines are more efficient using methanol than gasoline. Everything would be fine if not for one “but”.
The combustion of methanol cannot be seen in daylight.
«Stopped breathing»
It was the fuel that caught fire at that moment. Methanol began to gush out of the hose even before it was connected to the tank, flooding everything around. The fuel hit the engine and immediately ignited.
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«I stopped breathing,» Mears himself recalls those seconds. «I was trying my best to get out. I had to do it with my eyes closed so as not to burn them. To be honest, I don't remember how it all happened. The main thing is that I got out.»
The situation was complicated by the fact that no one around understood what exactly was happening to Mears. The fire spread to everyone it came close to. Everyone was focused on putting out the burning car, and the pilot, distraught with pain and fear, could not get the help he needed. According to his recollections, only one person immediately realized that it was his father who was with him. First, he took his wife and son to a safe place, and then, risking himself, grabbed a fire extinguisher and knocked the flames off Mears.
«It was a long 34 seconds,» the American athlete recalls.
Mears and four members of his team were urgently hospitalized. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but the pilot needed complex plastic surgery on his face. The incident led to a tightening of the technology rules: a relief valve was added to the system, preventing fuel from flowing from the hose until it was connected to the tank. And Rick Mears himself subsequently won the Indy 500 three more times.