In Pixar's Cars, Lightning McQueen accidentally leaves Interstate 40 while being transported to California.
After winning a three-way tie in the Piston Cup season finale, McQueen is loaded into Mack's trailer for the trip to the tiebreaker race. McQueen wakes during the journey, attempts to wake Mack, and falls out when the truck stops unexpectedly.
The lost race car eventually reaches the abandoned town of Radiator Springs, where his reckless driving damages the main road. The local judge orders him to repair it, keeping him in town long enough to meet residents including Doc Hudson, Mater, Sally Carrera, and Flo.
Interstate 40 is a real transcontinental route that runs across the southern United States. The film's fictional town is associated with historic Route 66, but McQueen's initial escape from Mack occurs after the convoy leaves I-40, making those two roads an easy detail to mix up.