Lightning McQueen is competing to win the Piston Cup in Pixar's Cars 3.
The Piston Cup is the main stock-car racing championship in the Cars series. In Cars 3, McQueen struggles to keep pace with a new generation of technologically advanced racers led by Jackson Storm. His effort to remain competitive drives the film's training and racing story.
The championship is named after the Piston Cup trophy, which was also the central prize in the first Cars film. McQueen originally wins the season-ending contest after an ethical decision involving fellow racers Chick Hicks and The King.
Cars 3 expands the competition by focusing on McQueen's changing role. He eventually helps Cruz Ramirez become a racer, while the Piston Cup storyline continues through a new partnership rather than simply repeating the first film's plot.