Justin Wilson death: IndyCar driver dies due to serious head injuries suffered in freak crash

British racing driver Justin Wilson has died at the age of 37 one day after suffering serious head injuries when being struck by debris

Justin Wilson suffered head injuries in the race at race at Pocona (Reuters)

The British racing driver Justin Wilson has died at the age of 37 due to the serious head injuries he suffered in a freak accident at an IndyCar Series race at Pocona in the United States, it has been confirmed.

Wilson, who was born in Sheffield, was struck in the head by a large of derbris that had come off of Sage Karam's car in a separate crash while the Chip Ganassi Racing driver was leading the race on lap 179 of 200.

The race continued under caution behind the safety car while medics treated and extricated Wilson from the wreckage, before airlifting him to the nearby Lehigh Valley Health Network Cedar Crest Hospital in Pennsylvania.

A statement released on www.IndyCar.com read: “INDYCAR announced that driver Justin Wilson, who enjoyed success in multiple motorsports series during a two-decade professional career, died today from a head injury sustained in the Verizon IndyCar Series race Aug. 23 at Pocono Raceway. He was 37.

Mike Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co who owns IndyCar and Indianapolis Speedway, said: "This is a monumentally sad day for IndyCar and the motorsports community as a whole.

"Justin's elite ability to drive a race car was matched by his unwavering kindness, character and humility — which is what made him one of the most respected members of the paddock. As we know, the racing industry is one big family, and our efforts moving forward will be focused on rallying around Justin's family to ensure they get the support they need during this unbelievably difficult time."

Wilson's death comes less than four years since the last fatality in IndyCar, when Briton Dan Wheldon was killed in the season finale race at Las Vegas Speedway that triggered a number of safety changes in the sport. The passing of Wilson, a former Formula One driver, comes just over a month after the death of Jules Bianchi. The Frenchman suffered serious head injuries during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, and succumbed to his injuries after nine months in a coma.

Wilson is survived by wife, Julia, and two daughters.

His family released a statement to say: "Justin was a loving father and devoted husband, as well as a highly competitive racing driver who was respected by his peers. The family would like to thank the staff at the Lehigh Valley Health Network Cedar Crest Hospital, Pocono Raceway, Andretti Autosport, and the Verizon IndyCar Series as well as the entire racing community for the amazing outpouring of support from fans around the world."

They added that as an organ donor, they will honour his wish to help others after his death.

Wilson raced in Formula One in 2003 with the Minardi team, before moving to Jaguar for the final five races of the season.

In 2004, Wilson moved to the United States to compete in Champ Car, before the series merged in 2008 to be renamed as IndyCar.

He recorded nine victories across 174 races, and sat 24th in this year's championship standings, having enjoyed a career best on ninth in 2009. He was also part of the Michael Shank Racing sports car entry that took overall victory in the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in 2012.

His team, Andretti Autosport - ran by former race driver Michael Andretti - said: "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Justin Wilson.

"He was a tremendous racer, a valuable member of the team and respected representative to our sport. While Justin was only part of the Andretti lineup for a short time, it only took a second for him to forever become part of the Andretti family. His life and racing career is a story of class and passion surpassed by none. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Wilson family and fans worldwide."