IndyCar manufacturers bring McLaren ECU online

McLaren Tag 400 IndyCar ECU

After three days of heavy activity last week on the Sebring short course, IZOD IndyCar Series engine manufacturers wound down two-months of intensive testing by pressing the new McLaren ECU and its associated electronics into service.

“We now have the McLaren (TAG-400i) ECU up and running on the cars," said Will Phillips, INDYCAR’s VP of technology. “We appreciate the patience the manufacturers have shown in getting it into the development stream, and they’ve been incredibly helpful."

In the meantime, the Chevrolet and Honda test teams will download what they learned from Sebring and what they’d like to see improved on the McLaren ECU.

“McLaren have a web portal where they request the manufacturers post all feedback and they look at it daily," said Phillips. “Any updates required are returned as soon as possible. We’ll slowly bring on-line any alternate shifting strategies that are needed. And the anti-stall features will be brought on step-by-step." Speedtv.com

The three days of on-track experience before the holiday break was encouraging, according to Honda Performance Development technical director Roger Griffiths.

"It was our first opportunity to use the new McLaren electronics package we will all run in 2012, so a lot of very basic calibration runs and work with the basic engine and gearbox controls had to be completed," he said. “It's all about learning and systematically exploring the capabilities of the new software and the way it controls the engine. It was a very encouraging start, but we know there still is much work to be done and we expect development to continue from now until the start of the season."