In Pixar’s Cars, Lightning McQueen competes to win the Piston Cup championship.
The Piston Cup is the film’s fictional stock-car racing championship. At the beginning of the story, McQueen is a rookie contender tied with veteran champion Strip “The King” Weathers and rival Chick Hicks. The deciding race is held in California, but McQueen’s journey to it is interrupted when he becomes stranded in Radiator Springs.
The competition gives the first film its external goal, while the town supplies its emotional lesson. McQueen initially cares almost entirely about winning and gaining a sponsorship. His experiences with Doc Hudson, Sally Carrera, Mater, and the other residents change how he understands success.
The championship returns in later Cars stories, although Cars 2 shifts attention toward the World Grand Prix. In Cars 3, McQueen again competes in the Piston Cup while trying to overcome the rise of technologically advanced racers such as Jackson Storm.