In Pixar's Cars (2006), what trophy does Lightning McQueen race to win?

Lightning McQueen races to win the Piston Cup in Pixar's Cars (2006).

The film begins with a three-way tie for the Piston Cup between Lightning McQueen, Chick Hicks, and The King. A final race at the Los Angeles International Speedway is scheduled to decide the champion, but Lightning's journey to that race is interrupted by his accidental arrival in Radiator Springs.

The Piston Cup is a fictional stock-car racing championship in the Cars universe. Its name and presentation evoke American stock-car racing, while its main competitors reflect recognizable racing archetypes: the ambitious newcomer, the experienced champion, and the aggressive rival.

The championship remains important in later films. Cars 3 revisits the competition through Lightning's struggle against the next generation of racers, particularly Jackson Storm.