Rust-eze is Lightning McQueen’s main sponsor in Pixar’s Cars.
Rust-eze is a fictional medicated bumper ointment marketed by brothers Rusty and Dusty Rust-eze. Lightning begins the film as a Rust-eze-sponsored rookie competing in the Piston Cup. The company’s distinctive red-and-yellow branding appears on his bodywork and is part of his visual identity throughout the series.
Dinoco is the better-known rival sponsor associated with The King and later with Lightning’s possible promotion, which makes it a common mix-up. Octane Gain and Mood Springs are other fictional racing sponsors seen in the Piston Cup field. Rust-eze’s sponsorship is important to Lightning’s early career because it connects him to the commercial world of racing before his experiences in Radiator Springs change his priorities.