7: Turbogate

Improved communication, I supposed, will be on INDYCAR’s short list of New Year’s resolutions.

As we were repeatedly reminded in 2012, keeping the paddock and its manufacturers properly informed was a somewhat inconsistent affair, and April’s Turbogate was the poster child for what can happen when major players are kept in the dark about technical changes.

And we’ll also need to add ‘effective record keeping’ to the list of resolutions.

Back during an IndyCar engine Committee (IEC) meeting in 2010--when the rules were being established for the new engine formula, the series told the assembled engine manufacturers and sub-component representatives that should any performance disparities between the single- and twin-turbo options come to light, a suitable update would be made to level the playing field.

Honda, which chose the single-turbo package, noted a deficiency in supplying enough air through the spec intake housing during dyno testing in 2011 and alerted the series. The situation continued towards a positive solution and revised intake covers—ones that would allow more air into the compressor—were commission from BorgWarner, makers of the turbo units.

It was hoped those covers would arrive in time for March 25th’s season opener at St. Pete, but it took a few more weeks—until Long Beach in the middle of April—for a full supply to be dispatched to all the Honda-powered teams.

It’s at this point in the story where everything hits the proverbial fan.

Chevy, after turning up to Long Beach with problems of their own, was caught off guard by this INDYCAR-approved change and fearing they’d lose the edge they held over Honda. They went ballistic and demanded the series reverse its decision. The series relented, ordering Honda’s teams to revert to the original inlet covers prior to opening practice. Now Honda was pissed, and the Battle Royale was officially on and cracking.

Chevy brought up the fact that the promises made by the series in the aforementioned IEC meeting were never entered into the formal records, much less ratified in the rules, and therefore the series had no right to allow the turbo changes.

Honda, which kept meticulous notes from the IEC meetings, documented the series' verbal promise and stuck to its guns, saying that an administrative oversight by INDYCAR should not undermine the need for turbo parity for every engine manufacturer. The series also produced its meeting notes which matched Honda's account of what transpired. Honda also mentioned that had it been the single-turbo package carrying the advantage, Chevy (and Lotus) would have been calling for changes to its twin-turbo units…

After Long Beach, the series reviewed the situation and re-approved the new turbo covers, which was met with an immediate protest by Chevy. A protest panel formed by the series then heard both sides and again ruled in Honda’s favor. But that wasn’t the end of the game—not by a longshot. Chevy promptly filed an appeal which saw the series assemble another new panel to make a final ruling on the contretemps.

That decision also fell in Honda’s favor. So, three strikes for Chevy and they were out, right? Once again, not by a longshot.

On a separate note, some within the Chevy-powered portion of the paddock felt the entire scenario spoke to the shortcomings of IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard—that he didn’t have control over his series and failed to uphold the very rules written (or in this case, not written) in its rulebook, which emboldened and unified a core band that became determined to send him packing.

Although Chevy lost the Turbogate battle—a duel that lasted less than a month, it exposed how they viewed every single day of their participation in the IndyCar Series. Turbogate showcased what Chevy saw as a 15-round, take no prisoners, no-holds-barred war.

A second, less publicized scrap took place later in the year over Honda’s intake plenum, which fit Chevy’s aggressive nature towards its main rival. Despite the civil, respectful relationship held between members of Ilmor, the company responsible for building the Chevy engines, and HPD, Honda’s competition firm, those social bonds clearly didn’t run as deep as some wanted to believe.

As former business partners with the spec V8 Honda IndyCar engine that was used through 2011, it became evident that as head-to-head competitors, Ilmor and its partners at Chevy were bent on demolishing Honda whenever the green flag waved, through the rules, in protests, appeals and every other aspect of IndyCar racing that had a competitive element.

You know how in MMA where Round 1 starts and the two fighters walk to the center of the ring, raise their fists and touch gloves to begin the match? And how one in every million fights, that tradition of showing respect to each other before doing battle goes horribly wrong because one guy turns that genial moment into an opportunity to knock the other guy out?

That was Turbogate and Chevy’s approach to its championship-winning 2012 season.

Waste no time. Always go for the knockout.

Turbogate was also one of two big sparks that inspired Randy Bernard’s eventual firing from IndyCar, and while that portion of the Turbogate legacy can’t be fixed, the other spark, the one that caused Honda to re-think its intensity level in regards to dealing with Chevy and any other manufacturer, will have a lasting effect on the organization.

INDYCAR: Last-Minute Turbo Changes For Honda Runners

INDYCAR: Chevy Protests Change To Honda’s Turbo Specification

INDYCAR: Series Rules In Favor Of Honda Turbo Change

INDYCAR: Panel Named For Turbo Protest Hearing

INDYCAR: Honda Wins Turbo Protest

INDYCAR: GM Appeals Series’ Turbo Ruling

INDYCAR: Honda's Turbo Change Explained