British IndyCar driver Justin Wilson dies of head injury sustained in crash

Wilson was struck in the head with debris from Sage Karam's car when the American crashed late in the ABC Supply 500 and was airlifted to a local hospital.

IndyCar confirmed yesterday that he was in a coma and in critical condition, but in a press conference shortly after 21:00 local time, officials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway broke the news of his passing.

Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles made the announcement this evening before turning the mic over to Ed Carpenter, representing the rest of the drivers in the IndyCar Series.

"Obviously Justin was a great professional driver and extremely good at his craft. Beyond that, he was a great guy, one of the few, if only, guys who was really a friend among everyone in the paddock," Carpenter said.

"For me, for what Justin's gone through over the past couple of years and how hard he's worked... he exemplified the reason we all love doing this."

He went on to add: "We'll all be back competing in his honour in the near future."

Wilson's family released this statement shortly afterward:

"With deep sadness, the parents of Justin Wilson, Keith and Lynne, his wife Julia, and his brother Stefan share the news that Justin passed away today after succumbing to injuries suffered during the Verizon IndyCar event at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, August 23.

"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.

"The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Wilson Children's Fund care of IndyCar."