The Piston Cup is the racing series Lightning McQueen competes in throughout Pixar’s Cars.
Lightning is a rookie competitor attempting to win the Piston Cup during the film’s opening race season. He shares the championship lead with veteran racer The King and rival Chick Hicks, setting up the finale that eventually sends him toward Radiator Springs.
The Piston Cup is a fictional championship modeled on American stock-car racing. Its name recalls the piston, a major moving component inside many internal-combustion engines. The series gives the film a recognizable professional-sports structure, with sponsors, pit crews, celebrity drivers, and a season-ending championship race.
The trophy’s name is sometimes confused with the Dinoco brand. Dinoco is a fictional sponsor associated with the racing world, while the Piston Cup is the championship itself. The King and Chick Hicks are competitors in that series, not names for the competition.