The championship trophy Lightning McQueen tries to win in Pixar’s Cars 3 is the Piston Cup.
The Piston Cup is the recurring championship prize in the Cars racing world. Lightning’s career is built around winning Piston Cup seasons, and the third film places that achievement in jeopardy when younger racers begin dominating the series.
Cars 3 opens with Lightning enjoying success before Jackson Storm’s arrival changes the competitive landscape. Lightning’s attempt to reclaim the Piston Cup becomes part of a larger story about training, mentorship, and knowing when an athlete’s role may need to change. The trophy is therefore both a racing prize and a symbol of his identity.
The Dinoco Cup is a separate name associated with the Dinoco racing brand and the first film’s championship storyline, which causes frequent confusion. In Cars 3, the general championship competition is still represented by the Piston Cup.