Will Power won't be waiting around for a ride next year.

Penske Racing has hired the 28-year-old Australian to drive full time next year after giving the Indy Racing League driver a part-time gig last season. He will drive the No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dallara/Honda for a team that features three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe.

"It is a dream come true," Power told reporters yesterday after Penske made the announcement. "It's something I've worked very hard for my whole career, to end up in a place like this."

Penske said the deal is a key element of a multiyear deal with Verizon Wireless that began this year. Power's deal is only for the 2010 season, and additional years haven't been discussed.

Power drove for Penske last season while Castroneves dealt with legal issues. After Castroneves returned, Power stayed on temporarily and finished fifth at the Indianapolis 500. Penske eventually brought him back, and Power finished third at Toronto and won at Edmonton.

"The results speak for themselves," Penske Racing president Tim Cindric said. "We're excited to be able to give him the opportunity to come on full time because he's done an excellent job in a very difficult situation."

A crash Aug. 22 in Sonoma, Calif., ended Power's season. He broke four bones in his back, had a concussion and chipped his left front tooth in a collision.

Power said he's on pace to recover in time for next season.

"I'm feeling really good," he said. "Everything's going well. It's actually ahead of schedule, the way my back healed. I don't think there going to be any problem getting back in the car in January."

Penske felt it couldn't afford to take a chance on Power going elsewhere.

"With the result he had last year, there was probably going to be more people knocking on his door if they found out he was available," Cindric said.

Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen confirmed that he will take a one-year sabbatical from Formula One next season and said it's uncertain whether he will return in 2011.

The Finnish driver, who was replaced by Fernando Alonso at Ferrari, said he prefers to take a year off and wait for a spot with a competitive team after failing to reach a deal with McLaren. McLaren opted to sign current champion Jenson Button to partner with Lewis Hamilton.

"I could not agree to terms with McLaren so I have decided to take a one-year sabbatical," the 2007 world champion told F1's official Web page. "And to be honest, I will only return in 2011 if a competitive drive is available."

Raikkonen, 30, said he saw McLaren as his "best opportunity to win races and challenge for the drivers' championship."

Button admitted he took a pay cut to join McLaren.

"I am actually earning less than I would have been at Brawn, so it's not about the money and everybody involved knows that is not the case. It's because it's something new," Button told BBC Radio.

Rusty Wallace Racing is moving its team from Chevrolet to Toyota next season. Wallace, who is a NASCAR analyst for ESPN, also will represent the Toyota brand on a national basis.

His team will field cars for Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan. RWR had used Chevrolets the past two seasons.

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