Historical Medallion🎖️ on Instagram: "On May 24, 1981, minutes before the start of the Indy 500, a methanol leak occurred on Rick Mears' car (Penske Racing) — the primary fuel in IndyCar at the time. Methanol flame has low luminosity and is almost invisible in daylight. The fire, reaching temperatures of around 1800°F (1000°C), ignited near the engine and instantly engulfed the rear of the car. Mears' crew, unable to see clear flames, relied only on shimmering hot air and black smoke from burni