A successful Winston Cup pit crew must have strength and endurance. Tires need to be changed, and gas dumped in the fuel tank. All in 18 seconds.

But crew chiefs today also consider another factor mental strength.

“The key to having a good pit crew now is for your guys to have the mindset and confidence they can do a good job on each pit stop,” said Mike Ford, crew chief for Evernham Motorsports’ No. 9 Dodges and driver Bill Elliott.

“For example, say your car is leading late in the race and you come in for that last pit stop. Your guys don’t get pumped up for that, they should actually ‘pump down’ and calm down to make sure adrenaline doesn’t take over. More times than not, if (adrenaline takes over), you will not have a good pit stop.”

The spotlight falls on pit crews this weekend for the annual World Pit Crew Competition Saturday at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, N.C. During last season’s competition, Roush Racing’s No. 17 Ford team, with driver Matt Kenseth, set a world record for four tires and fuel, completing the task in 17.695 seconds.

Phil Horton, athletic trainer for Robert Yates Racing’s No. 88 Ford team, likes to focus on members’ agility.

“I like to start with each individual’s footwork and how they get around the car,” Horton said. “We do a lot of footwork drills to get the guys to feel comfortable running around the car.

“Once they’re comfortable with getting around the car we progress to more job-specific training techniques for each crew member.”

The pit crew of Roush Racing's No. 17 Ford hopes to defend its World Pit Crew Competition title. The team set a record time of 17.695 seconds.

Ford said selection of pit crew members starts with assessing the physical abilities each position requires, then moves to an evaluation process of a crew member’s work under pressure.

“Some guys come to the shop and practice excellent, and you throw them into a crowd where hundreds of thousands of people are watching and they lock up,” Ford said. “That’s a part you have to keep an eye on when putting a good pit crew together.

“Even some people who have the best talent might not be able to handle the pressure. During the course of a season, no two pit stops are the same and it’s not at all like the controlled environment at the shop where practice takes place.”

The focus and concentration necessary to perform good stops is difficult enough on race days, but many teams work even harder to win the annual pit crew competition.

“It seems like this pit crew challenge is kind of like me going to Indianapolis,” said Winston Cup driver Tony Stewart, an Indiana native. “They put so much pressure on themselves to perform well for that event, I almost feel like they try too hard at times.

“To see the intensity on their faces as they gear up for the competition, it’s the same kind of intensity you would see of a baseball team getting ready to go into the World Series or a football team getting ready for the Super Bowl.

“These guys would break their arm if that’s what it would take to win the deal.”