Lightyear supplies Lightning McQueen’s replacement tires in Pixar’s Cars.
During the Piston Cup finale, Lightning’s tires fail after he pushes them too hard. The replacement tires carry the Lightyear branding, a playful reference to the real tire manufacturer Goodyear and to Buzz Lightyear from Pixar’s Toy Story. The visual joke connects the Cars world to Pixar’s broader creative history without making the films part of the same story universe.
Lightning’s original sponsor, Rust-eze, sells a medicated bumper ointment and is unrelated to his tire supplier. Rust-eze’s founders, Rusty and Dusty Rust-eze, support him throughout the film.
Viewers sometimes answer Rust-eze because it is Lightning’s most prominent sponsor. However, sponsor branding and tire branding are separate details in the racing sequence, making Lightyear the specific answer.