In Pixar's 2006 film Cars, the rookie race car stranded in Radiator Springs is Lightning McQueen.
McQueen is the film's central character and begins the story as a talented but arrogant rookie competing for the Piston Cup. After damaging the road in Radiator Springs, he is ordered to repair it before leaving town.
His time with residents such as Doc Hudson, Sally Carrera, and Mater changes his priorities. The name combines the idea of lightning speed with the surname of Pixar animator Glenn McQueen, who died before the film was completed.
Lightning McQueen is voiced by Owen Wilson in the Cars films. He later appears in Cars 2 and Cars 3, where his career develops from promising newcomer to experienced mentor. He is often confused with Jackson Storm, the younger racer introduced as his chief rival in Cars 3.