Lightning McQueen races in the Piston Cup championship series in Pixar’s Cars.
The Piston Cup is the major stock-car racing competition in the first Cars film. McQueen is a rookie contender fighting for the championship after tying with veteran racer The King and rival Chick Hicks. The deciding race is moved to the Los Angeles International Speedway, where McQueen’s choices reveal how much he has changed during his time in Radiator Springs.
The competition is fictional, but its presentation draws on American stock-car racing. The King is a blue Dinoco-sponsored racer modeled partly on the image of a veteran champion, while Chick Hicks represents an aggressive rival who prioritizes victory over sportsmanship.
The Piston Cup returns in later Cars stories. In Cars 3, McQueen’s struggle against the technologically advanced Jackson Storm centers on whether an older champion can remain competitive in the same racing world.