What fictional racing trophy is contested in Pixar's Cars?

The fictional Piston Cup is the racing trophy contested in Pixar's Cars.

The Piston Cup is the championship prize in the film's stock-car racing world. Lightning McQueen begins the story as a rookie competitor seeking to win the season finale and become the first rookie to take the championship. A three-way tie at the end of the race leads to a special tiebreaking event involving McQueen, The King, and Chick Hicks.

The name is a playful reference to NASCAR's former Winston Cup Series, although Cars creates its own fictional racing organization and characters. The Piston Cup is also associated with racing sponsors such as Rust-eze and Dinoco, which are important to the plot.

The Piston Cup is not the same thing as the Dinoco brand. Dinoco is a fictional petroleum company and sponsor, while the Piston Cup is the championship trophy. Cars 3 revisits the trophy's importance when McQueen tries to prove he can still compete against modern racers.