Will Power’s chances of snaring a second IndyCar Series title are in the hands of medical officials.
Team Penske star Power suffered a heavy side impact into an armco barrier after a collision involving Chip Ganassi’s Charlie Kimball on Lap 39 of 60 at Watkins Glen.
The crash has left Power 43 points adrift of team-mate Simon Pagenaud ahead of the double points round at Sonoma in two weeks.
With a total of 104 points on offer at the California decider (100 for the win, one for pole, one for leading a lap and two for most laps led) Power is the only conceivable chance of overhauling Pagenaud.
The 2014 IndyCar champion has not made any public comment since the race with his team subsequently tweeting: ‘The IndyCar med staff will run another series of tests early this week to determine when Will Power will be cleared to drive.’
IndyCar’s ImPACT (Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) guidelines include:
*The concussed driver shall be instructed to avoid any activities that aggravate symptoms of a concussion.
*Once no concussion symptoms are present, the driver is to begin light exercises. If no concussion symptoms arise, the driver is advised to progressively increase the intensity of the workout, provided there is no recurrence of concussion symptoms.
*When the driver has returned to his/her normal exercise ability without the recurrence of concussion symptoms, the INDYCAR Medical Director will arrange for the driver to take the ImPACT test where he/she is required to demonstrate no significant loss of neurocognitive function compared to baseline test results.
*Prior to being permitted to return to on-track competition, the driver will be subject to a final evaluation by the INDYCAR Medical Director. Once the driver returns to on-track competition, he/she is subject to subsequent evaluations as requested by the INDYCAR Medical Director. Additionally, team personnel are responsible for reporting any reappearance of concussion signs or symptoms to INDYCAR’s Medical Director.
At the season opening race at St Petersburg in March Power was ruled out of competing in the race after displaying concussion-like symptoms.
Power had suffered an impact in practice earlier that weekend but then continued to claim pole for the race before being ruled out.
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