In Pixar’s Cars, Lightning McQueen initially tries to win the Piston Cup.
The Piston Cup is the championship trophy of the film’s stock-car racing circuit. McQueen begins the story as a talented but arrogant rookie tied in the season standings with veteran racers Chick Hicks and The King. The final race determines the champion, but McQueen’s choices during that event become more important than simply taking the trophy.
Dinoco is the prestigious sponsor associated with The King and later with the championship’s public image. It is not the name of the trophy. This distinction causes a common mix-up because the Dinoco brand and its blue race car are central to the climax.
The Piston Cup also returns as a major element in Cars 3, where McQueen’s changing relationship with competition becomes the film’s central concern.