In Pixar's Cars, Lightning McQueen's blue racing rival known as The King is Strip Weathers.
The King is a veteran Piston Cup champion whose calm professionalism contrasts with Lightning's boastful rookie behavior. He is a blue Plymouth Superbird-style stock car and wears the number 43, a design detail associated with real NASCAR driver Richard Petty.
The character is voiced by Richard Petty, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. That casting reinforces The King's status as an elder statesman of stock-car racing, while his wife, Tex Dinoco, is connected to the Dinoco racing brand.
The King is not Chick Hicks, Lightning's aggressive green competitor. Doc Hudson is a retired racer and Radiator Springs judge, while Mack is Lightning's transport truck. Each character has a separate role in the film's racing world.