Kurt Busch using digital dashboard at Darlington

Kurt Busch has a little bit of the new amid his car decked out with a retro paint scheme this weekend at Darlington Raceway. Busch is experimenting with the digital dashboard that NASCAR will require teams to have in 2016. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver and team, comfortably in the Chase for the Sprint Cup figured Darlington would be the best place to test the digital dash. Their car at Darlington is an older car that they're not planning to use in the Chase, so they won't have to worry about rewiring or reconverting the dashboard.

The dashboard weighs a pound, and the team has worked to try to get weight out of other parts of the dashboard to compensate for it, including an entirely new steering column, according to crew chief Tony Gibson. Teams are allowed to customize what information the dash provides and how, as well as the colors and size of the displays.

The digital dash is expected to be more accurate than traditional gauges. Busch was the only driver working with the digital dash at Darlington. No teams have used it in the first three races since NASCAR approved its use in early August. Busch tested with the digital dash in June at Darlington. The team thought it best to test the new display before the Chase, deciding they didn't want to fiddle with experimental equipment with the championship on the line, Gibson said.

NASCAR hopes that fans eventually will be able to see the exact data each driver has on the digital dash through NASCAR's website or apps. Gibson said if tire pressures are among the data teams can access, it would improve safety as well as help drivers know whether they should pit or if they have debris on the tires that is only making them feel as if a wheel is loose. NASCAR