Chick Hicks is officially declared the winner of the final Piston Cup race in Pixar’s Cars.
The race ends with Chick using an illegal maneuver to send The King into a crash. Lightning McQueen reaches the finish line first in practical terms, but he stops just before the line to help The King. Chick then crosses the line and is awarded the Piston Cup.
Lightning refuses to accept the championship under those circumstances. He pushes The King across the finish line, giving up the title and earning the respect of the crowd. The outcome establishes the film’s central distinction between winning a trophy and acting with integrity.
Chick Hicks is the green race car sponsored by Hostile Takeover Bank. The King, whose name is Strip Weathers, finishes second after the crash, while Lightning’s decision changes how the audience views the result.