The event is an exhibition pit stop contest featuring the top teams from the Sprint Cup Series.
The team with the fastest time after penalties were assessed was declared the world championship pit crew for the year.
The 2003 Unocal 76 World Pit Crew Competition proved to be the final held under that name and at that time of year, for two reasons.
The top eight seeds of the Sprint Cup Series point standings were allowed to have a bye into the second round of the event.
The remaining eligible teams were seeded by in order of Sprint Cup owner point standings as positions 9 through 24 and competed in a head-to-head format in the opening round of the challenge.
When their duties were finished (a NASCAR official would approve) at their time, the six crewmen (the assistant to the fueler does not participate) ran to the start of a 40-yard (36m) dash where all crewmen had to push the car down the length of the arena where the nose of the car reaching the timing beam stops the clock.
Typically, a team engineer, a member of the public relations staff, or a driver's wife steered the car during the 40-yard dash.