Open throttle torque control

A method of controlling torque during a closed throttle to open throttle transition for an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps:

• determining a proportional error term by monitoring an amount of torque the engine will produce and is presently producing during a closed to open throttle transition;
• determining a derivative error term by monitoring a rate of change of the engine speed during a closed to open throttle transition;
• determining a torque error term as the greater of said proportional error term and said derivative error term;
• converting said torque error term to a spark compensation amount;
• and
• delivering said spark compensation amount to an engine control scheme.