SHR team innovates on throwback weekend; display will be mandatory in 2016
MORE: Q&A on new digital dash
DARLINGTON, S.C. — NASCAR and its teams may be turning back the clock this weekend with Darlington Raceway‘s “throwback” initiative and the return of the Bojangles’ Southern 500 to the Labor Day holiday weekend, but both groups remain focused on the future as well.
Case in point — the Stewart-Haas Racing team with driver Kurt Busch. While the No. 41 Chevrolet is one of more than 30 entries featuring a retro paint scheme here this weekend, it is the only Sprint Cup entry featuring the new digital display (dashboard).
Took this pic before practice. This is what the digital dash looks like from my perspective. #BojanglesSo500 pic.twitter.com/IWZCVwoHis
— Kurt Busch (@KurtBusch) September 4, 2015
Teams were allowed to begin using the new technology in August; however this is the first time a team has had the new piece in place for a race weekend. The digital dash display will be mandatory in all Sprint Cup entries beginning in 2016.
“With digital dash, you get the same information everyone else does,” Greg Zipadelli, Vice President of Competition for SHR, said Friday morning at Darlington. “Obviously … the digital dash offers an awful lot of data … just a ton of stuff depending on what kind of channels they allow us to use in the future.”
That additional data won’t be available this weekend – the system will provide only the readings available through current analog gauges.
“It takes a little bit different (wiring) harness, a different dashboard,” Zipadelli said. “(Kurt) was willing to run it. It allowed a group of our guys at the shop to just basically jump on it; we’re just trying to be a little bit ahead for next year and get some feedback, how does it work, what does he like about it, let the other drivers see it.
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“That’s really the only reason for us. We’ve got to do it next year, we don’t have a choice, so we felt like we would embrace it and try … I don’t want to try to figure it out at Daytona or Phoenix next year.”
There is a slight weight difference, he said, noting that the digital display is heavier.
“So we worked a little bit harder on the surroundings of it to try and get it back to being equal.”
Earlier this year, Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR vice president of innovation and racing development, said the amount “of information we share and what we share will be somewhat dependent on the ability to telematically send information.”
“The teams will be getting the same information they get currently; and they do have the ability to reconfigure the dash to their liking.
“We are also working on a tire-pressure monitoring system that will feed to the digital dash. The digital dash already has the receiver built into it; we’re working on the technology from the tires to talk to the dash. We will then be able to log the tire pressures during a race and take those post-race. The question is can we have real-time pressure monitoring?”
Current configurations inside the cars feature individual analog gauges for oil and water pressures, tachometer, fuel pressure and voltage.
The digital dashboard will display similar information, but also has the ability to provide additional feedback such as the tire pressures mentioned by Stefanyshyn, lap times and even relevant pit stop information.
Jamie McMurray, driver of the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates No. 1 Chevrolet, previewed the digital technology earlier this year during a Goodyear tire test at Kentucky. By flipping a switch, McMurray noted, the new dash also has the ability to revert to a screen that displays the information in a more conventional manner.
Same dash just changed the page by hitting a switch. WAY different than what we have been using. pic.twitter.com/NNBdNRaYKs
— Jamie McMurray (@jamiemcmurray) April 13, 2015
In addition to providing more information to teams and drivers, officials have said it is hoped that the information can also be provided to fans to enhance the viewing experience.