Power misdiagnosed before opener

Australian driver Will Power was misdiagnosed with concussion before the IndyCar season opener, suffering instead from an ear infection.

Will Power did not suffer a concussion before the IndyCar season-opening race at St Petersburg, Florida, with the Australian likely suffering only from an inner-ear infection.

Power was a late scratch from last Sunday's race when symptoms he was displaying were indicative of a concussion. He crashed two days earlier in practice, and was sick after winning pole position on Saturday.

IndyCar examined him the morning of the race and determined Power had a mild concussion, but said on Wednesday an evaluation at the University of Miami Concussion Program showed no evidence of a concussion. Power passed the Immediate Post-Concussion and Assessment and Cognitive Test, and an MRI was normal.

Power has been cleared to resume racing, with IndyCar's next event on March 27 in Phoenix.

"The doctors at the University of Miami concluded Power's symptoms ... may have been related to a lingering inner-ear infection for which he was being treated," said Dr Terry Trammell, safety consultant to IndyCar.

"Given the nature of his inner-ear infection, it would have been extremely difficult for Will to pass the SCAT, which is what ultimately led to the concussion diagnosis," Trammell said.