In Pixar's Cars 3, what race takes place at the film's climax?

The Florida 500 is the climactic race in Pixar's Cars 3.

The race takes place at the fictional Florida International Super Speedway. Lightning McQueen enters after spending much of the film trying to recover his competitive form following the rise of a younger generation of high-tech racers. Cruz Ramirez, initially his trainer, becomes central to the race's outcome.

The Florida 500 is not the same event as the Piston Cup championship race in the first Cars film or the World Grand Prix in Cars 2. Cars 3 returns to stock-car racing and focuses on mentorship, legacy, and the pressure faced by an aging champion.

The race also supplies the film's final change in direction. Rather than simply proving that he can defeat the newest rival himself, Lightning recognizes Cruz's ability and supports her as a racer. This makes the Florida 500 important both as an action set piece and as the conclusion of Lightning's personal arc.