Australian Will Power is confident he can rebound from a tumultuous end to the IndyCar season and again challenge for the title next season in 2012
Power who finished second in the championship in the past two years, has also been suffering from a back injury after being caught up in the fiery Las Vegas accident which killed Englishman Dan Wheldon. Wheldon died when his car flipped in a packed field on the tight oval track, hurtling over Power’s already-airborne car.
Power was diagnosed with a compressed fracture to his vertebrae but said he would be fully fit to drive alongside fellow Australian Ryan Briscoe in the Roger Penske team next season.
IndyCar officials continue their intensive investigation of safety issues surrounding the sport. In a twist of fate, Wheldon had assisted in the development of the 2012 Dallara IndyCar, which had a far greater focus on safety, but died before the changes were introduced to the sport.
Next year’s car has several advanced safety features including fairings behind the rear wheels, designed to prevent cars becoming airborne, which happened to Wheldon, Power and Pippa Mann in the Las Vegas crash. Mann suffered burns to her hand and Hildebrand severely bruised his sternum in the accident.
Calls for a radical overhaul came immediately after Wheldon’s death in the in October crash. Key issues among the drivers and team managers is the safety-fencing and the number of cars in any high speed oval track racing.
