What is the name of the fictional championship in Pixar’s Cars?

The fictional championship in Pixar’s Cars is the Piston Cup.

The Piston Cup is the premier stock-car racing series in the film’s world. Lightning McQueen enters the original story as a rookie competing for the championship. The season ends with a three-way tiebreaker race after McQueen, Chick Hicks, and Strip Weathers finish level on points.

The championship is modeled partly on American stock-car racing, especially NASCAR-style competition. Its name evokes engine components and motorsport tradition rather than identifying a real racing organization. Dinoco is a fictional sponsor within the story, not the name of the championship itself.

Cars 2 shifts attention to the World Grand Prix, an international event organized by Miles Axlerod. Cars 3 returns to the Piston Cup setting as McQueen tries to compete with the technologically advanced Jackson Storm. This difference between the Piston Cup and World Grand Prix is a common source of confusion when comparing the trilogy.