In Pixar's Cars, Lightning McQueen enters the Piston Cup race after the leading racers are involved in a crash.
The film begins with McQueen competing in the season-ending Piston Cup race. A three-way tie is created when McQueen, The King, and Chick Hicks finish with the same points. The deciding race is arranged at the Los Angeles International Speedway, but McQueen's journey to California leads to his accidental stay in Radiator Springs.
The Piston Cup is a fictional championship inspired by American stock-car racing. McQueen's sponsor, Rust-eze, supports him during his rookie season, while The King represents the established champion and Chick Hicks the aggressive rival. The event is not the Dinoco 400, which is a fictional race mentioned in the film's racing world.