Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s “limitless” racing surface was singled out Thursday as a significant factor in a “perfect storm” of conditions that led to the death of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon.

Wheldon was killed Oct. 16 during the series’ season finale when his car sailed 325 feet through the air into a catch fence, and his head hit a post in the fence. The blow created a “non-survivable injury.”

In the wake of the 15-car wreck, many criticized CEO Randy Bernard and IndyCar for creating a deadly mix of circumstances – offering a jobless Wheldon the chance to earn a $5 million bonus if he could drive from the back of a 34-car field to Victory Lane on a high-banked oval, where a field of mixed experience levels had enough room to race three-wide at more than 220 mph.

But IndyCar president Brian Barnhart dismissed those factors and focused instead on Vegas’ multigrooved wide racing surface that heightened the dangers of pack racing on a high-banked oval.

The IndyCar, with open wheels and an open cockpit, is not suited for the pack racing that develops on ovals. Unlike NASCAR, where cars bump and bang on every lap, any contact in an IndyCar results in either a crash or a slew of broken parts.

Drivers predicted as early as preseason testing that Las Vegas would be hairy and repeated those warnings during the buildup to the race.

“We knew that was the case before we even started the race, because it’s been the case at (ovals) where you can run multigrooves,” driver Will Power, who broke his back in the accident, told The Associated Press.

“It’s the same thing NASCAR has with Daytona and Talladega, and when they have the big one, the consequences aren’t nearly as bad as in IndyCar.

“We can’t race in a pack. You just can’t in open-wheelers. There’s no room for error,” Power said.

Bernard said the report was shared with Wheldon’s widow, Susie, on Wednesday evening, and she spoke with both Barnhart and Bernard afterward.

“She talked to Brian Barnhart primarily about the investigation because I felt it was important for Brian to educate her,” Bernard said. “My conversation with her was about some other questions and family matters that she wanted to discuss.”

Just a day shy of the two-month anniversary of Wheldon’s death, IndyCar is struggling to move forward.

The 2012 schedule has yet to be released, although Bernard hoped to have it out by today. At issue was whether the IndyCar is suited for any high-banked ovals. Bernard already has bought his way out of Year 2 of the Las Vegas contract. The third and final year of the lease agreement is up for review.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway president Chris Powell said track officials will work with IndyCar in hopes “the series might return to LVMS in the future.”