Motorsport: Injured Power to stick with IndyCar

Australian Will Power is confident he can rebound from a tumultuous end to the IndyCar season and again challenge for the title in 2012.

Power has finished runner-up in the past two years but has also been hit by his second back injury after being caught up in the Las Vegas race which killed Englishman Dan Wheldon.

The Queenslander is recuperating from the injury as IndyCar officials continue their intensive investigation of safety issues surrounding the sport.

Wheldon, the dual Indianapolis 500 winner, 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 compatriot Ryan Briscoe in the Roger Penske team next season.

"I am committed. I am staying in IndyCar, simple as that," Power said.

"I see how committed (IndyCar CEO) Randy Bernard is to making it safer, and that gives me confidence."

Sadly, Wheldon had helped develop the 2012 Dallara IndyCar, which had a far greater emphasis on safety, but died before the changes were introduced.

Next year's machine 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.

Apart from Power, Mann suffered severe burns to her right hand and JR Hildebrand severely bruised his sternum in the accident.

Calls for a radical overhaul of safety in the sport came immediately after Wheldon's death in the horrific 15-car crash on October 16.

Bernard said it was important to know everything that went wrong in the crash.

"We must continue to move forward with a thorough investigation," he said.

"Fortunately, that has already begun and we have the protocols in place to get this done.

"This was a tragic accident, and IndyCar needs to understand everything possible about it."

All official data from the incident will be handed over to an independent, third-party committee of inquiry.

Key among the concerns are safety-fencing around the oval and the number of cars in the race.

- AAP