At first glance, the GhostDash system seems like a surefire way to give would-be racers an information overdose -- death, or at least spin-out, by excessive data. To hear creator Justin Hayes tell it, though, the system -- which lets you chase a virtual “ghost” representing one of your previous runs through a circuit in real time -- is actually safer and more intuitive than the typical suite of track-timing equipment.

GhostDash combines telemetry equipment, a small projector and a prominent head-up display to create a real-life approximation of the ghost cars available in most racing video games. It’s not surprising, then, that racing video games are what inspired GhostDash; consider it life imitating art. Add GhostDash to something like the already-digital Nissan GT-R, and the distinction between reality and virtual reality must get even more blurred. We haven’t used it in person, but it all seems rather magical. Check out a demonstration in the video below:

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Fortunately, making it all work together seems fairly simple. When you drive a lap of the circuit of your choice, the GhostDash system’s GPS receiver records and stores your track position and time. When you get back to the starting line, your ghost -- a digital reconstruction of your last lap -- is waiting for you. As you chase yourself around the circuit, you can see how far behind you’re lagging (or, hopefully, how far ahead you’re sitting).

No word on whether the ghost car will also show up in your rearview, which would be entertaining.

GhostDash is a combination of off-the-shelf hardware and purpose-built software. Lap timers and the like already exist, of course, and OEM systems such as the Corvette’s Performance Data Recorder combine GPS and high-definition cameras to provide drivers with telemetry-overlaid lap videos.

While putting all this information right in your face might seem more distracting than alternatives, Hayes says GhostDash’s HUD means you won’t have to take your eyes off the road to glance at a secondary screen or chronometer.

Still, he’s sure to note that this system is not meant for beginners, who should be focusing on scanning the track ahead and driving within their limits, rather than attacking times. Ever driven into a wall while clumsily following your ghost in “Mario Kart”? Yeah, we have too -- and while that’s all well and good in a video game, stuffing your real car is decidedly less fun (and safe). So think of GhostDash as a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, proper instruction.

Also geared to the experienced racer is the potential to ditch the ghost car in favor of displaying the racing line for a given track. Clubs or groups of enthusiasts with similar cars could theoretically share ghosts/racing data to learn from each other; as with any new technology, there’s no telling precisely how it will be used by enthusiasts.

To date, GhostDash has been tested on everything from a MX5 Cup car, an American Iron Mustang race car, an SUV and a Gallardo -- the toughest install of them all on account of the Lamborghini’s steeply raked windshield. While the current GhostDash setup might not work for each and every last car on the road, the wide range of test cars means there’s a very good chance it will work with whatever you take to track day.

As to the prospect of actually using GhostDash on the track, Hayes claims that race officials warm to the HUD concept once they’ve seen it in action -- it does sit directly in the driver’s field of view, but it is 98 percent transparent and relatively unobtrusive.

Things get trickier when you leave the circuit. Some states like California specifically ban devices like this on public roads, while other jurisdictions have no laws expressly prohibiting their use. Even so, street racing is a bad idea -- don't go using GhostDash to create an improvised course on public roads.

With just over a week left on GhostDash’s Kickstarter, the project isn’t close to its ambitious $43,500 funding goal. Whether it is fully funded or not, however, Hayes sees the buzz generated from the Kickstarter campaign as key to building momentum behind the project.

At the moment, pledging $1,700 ($1,900 if you miss the earlybird special) gets you the GhostDash software, the HUD screen and a customized projector. For $3,400 ($3,600 after the special ends), you get all that plus a Vbox Sport GPS-enabled data logger and a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet able to run the system’s software -- basically a turn-key GhostDash system. It’s not cheap, but then again, neither are hours of professional instruction. Or crashing.

Interested? Review the videos above and then head to ghostdash.com or the product’s Kickstarter page for more information.

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