The Associated Press

FORT WORTH, Texas - Kenny Brack was seriously injured Sunday when his car was hit from behind and pinwheeled down the track before breaking apart, marring Gil de Ferran's victory and Scott Dixon's IRL championship.

The crash, with 12 laps left at the IRL season-ending Chevy 500, sent Brack's car sailing high in the air before it smashed off a steel guardrail near the end of the back straightaway on the 1 1/2-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval.

The race proceeded under a caution for seven laps and ended five laps early.

Track officials said Brack was airlifted to Parkland Memorial Hospital after being removed from the cockpit of his car, which was hit by Tomas Scheckter. Brack was in serious but stable condition; Scheckter was uninjured.

Track spokesperson Sarona Winfrey said Brack broke his lower back, sternum, right thigh bone and both ankles.

Winfrey said surgery was scheduled on his thigh and both ankles for later Sunday night, and Brack was still listed in serious but stable condition.

The Chevy 500 was a typical IRL race, with cars often running wheel-to-wheel at about 220 mph.

There were five other caution flags during the Chevy 500, but only one other crash, involving Felipe Giaffone and Alex Barron. Neither were injured.

Most of the attention throughout the day was on the five-man championship battle that began with Dixon and Helio Castroneves tied for the lead and closely trailed by Tony Kanaan, two-time defending IRL champion Sam Hornish Jr. and de Ferran, who announced earlier this season that he would retire following this race.

"It's been a fantastic four years with Team Penske," de Ferran said. "It's a time I'm going to remember the rest of my life."

Dixon gave Chip Ganassi his first IRL championship after four titles in the rival CART series.

FORMULA ONE: Michael Schumacher won a record sixth world title, clinching the championship by finishing eighth in the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzka. He held off Kimi Raikkonen for the title.

CART: Paul Tracy dominated the Mexico Grand Prix from start to finish Sunday, building his lead for the CART series championship with just two races to go.

Rookie Sebastian Bourdais, who clinched rookie of the year honors, finished second.