Which NASCAR champion voices The King in Pixar’s Cars?
Answer
Richard Petty
NASCAR champion Richard Petty voices The King in Pixar’s Cars.
The King is a veteran race car and a seven-time Piston Cup champion who competes in the decisive race at the end of Cars. His design is based on a 1970 Plymouth Superbird, a real performance car associated with stock-car racing. Petty’s voice and racing identity make the character a deliberate tribute to NASCAR history.
Richard Petty won the real NASCAR Cup Series championship seven times, tying the record held by Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson. He also won the Daytona 500 seven times. In Cars, The King represents an older champion who understands sportsmanship and encourages Lightning McQueen to help his damaged rival, Chick Hicks.
The King should not be confused with Strip “The King” Weathers’ real-life inspiration as a vehicle. Petty also appeared in Cars-related promotional material, and his wife, Lynda Petty, voiced The King’s wife, Mrs. The King.