- - In 1981, a Nearly Invisible Fire at the Indy 500 Led to One of the Most Dangerous Incidents in Racing History

Virginia ChamleeJanuary 3, 2026 at 4:12 AM

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Rick Mears -

The 1981 Indy 500 saw a near-tragic incident that many couldn't even see: an invisible fire that engulfed a driver

Driver Rick Mears was in contention to win the race when made his refueling pit stop on lap 58

But when fuel began to gush out, it sprayed into the cockpit and onto Mears

It was a Sunday much like any other in Speedway, Indiana on May 24, 1981 — professional drivers gathered for the 65th Indianapolis 500, with the Motor Speedway a flurry of activity.

But things would unravel following the starting command of, "Gentlemen start your engines."

Driver Rick Mears was in contention to win the race when he made his refueling pit stop on lap 58. But before the hose could be properly connected to the car, fuel began to gush out, splashing some mechanics and spraying into the cockpit onto Mears.

That's when it ignited.

But, being that methanol burns with a transparent flame and no smoke, no one could see that Mears was on fire from the waist up. He ran to the pit wall, where a safety worker tried to remove his helmet (not realizing that Mears was on fire).

The pit-worker fueling the car — now also covered in burning fuel — waved his arms to attract fire crews. The scene was one of chaos and confusion — the safety worker who had tried to remove Mears' helmet fled the scene, as did another crewman carrying a fire extinguisher. Mears attempted to extinguish the flames himself before his father, Bill, grabbed the extinguisher and turned it on his son.

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Mears and some of his mechanics were sent to a hospital, with the driver suffering first- and second-degree burns to his face (burns that required him to undergo plastic surgery and therefore missed the following week's race).

Speaking to UPI after he was released from the hospital, he recalled: "I was sitting in the car during a refueling pit stop when the nozzle worked loose and started spraying fuel around."

When the fire reached the cockpit, he added, "I didn't dare breathe for fear I'd inhale the flames.

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Rick Mears jumps from his car as it is enveloped in white-hot flames in the pits during the Indy 500.

"I kept my eyes shut and jumped out of the car, all the time trying to get my helmet off. I couldn't do it with my gloves. When a fireman tried, he had to back off because the helmet was so hot and it was burning his hands," he added. "I tried to stick the nozzle in my face and pull the trigger, but I couldn't. My dad ran out and grabbed the extinguisher, spraying me to get the fire out and finally helping me get my helmet off."

Mears said that the experience was illustrative of the fact that racing needed better protocols to prevent something similar from happening in the future, telling UPI: "You got to have people better established for the job instead of the older guys who don't respond as quickly to an emergency ...Teach them, give them lessons on what to do in this type of situation. Give them fireproof clothes like we wear instead of the ordinary clothes they wear because that stuff burns."

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Rick Mears jumps from his car as it is enveloped in white-hot flames in the pits during the Indy 500

The near-tragedy did indeed lead to safety improvements in racing, with changes including dyes added to fuel to ensure methanol fires would be visible; redesigned fuel nozzles to prevent spills; and enhanced fire-resistant gear for pit crew members.

The incident didn't slow Mears down. After winning his first Indy 500 in just his second attempt in 1979 driving for Team Penske, Mears drove to his second Indy 500 win in the Pennzoil car for Team Penske in 1984 — just months before another challenge: a crash at Sanair Speedway that caused injuries to his right foot that would affect him for the duration of his career.

Following an operation, Mears returned to racing in time for the 1985 Indianapolis 500 and won the race again in 1988 and once more in 1991.

Mears retired somewhat unexpectedly from IndyCar driving in December 1992 at age 41, citing the physical toll of the sport.

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Source: “AOL Sports”