Description
In a world populated by anthropomorphic talking vehicles, the last race of the Piston Cup championship ends in a three-way tie between retiring racing veteran Strip “The King” Weathers, dirty-playing frequent runner-up Chick Hicks, and brash rookie Lightning McQueen. The tiebreaker race is scheduled for one week later in California.
Lightning is desperate to win the race, since it would not only make
him the first rookie to win the Piston Cup, but also allow him to leave
the unglamorous sponsorship of Rust-Eze, a bumper ointment company, and
allow him to take The King’s place on the prestigious and lucrative Dinoco team. Eager to start practice in California as soon as possible, he pushes his big rig, Mack
to travel all night long. While Lightning is sleeping, Mack drifts off
and is startled by a gang of four reckless street racers, causing
Lightning to fall out the back of the trailer and onto the road.
Lightning wakes in the middle of traffic and speeds off the highway in
search of Mack, but instead accidentally ends up lost in the rundown
desert town of Radiator Springs, where he inadvertently ruins the pavement of its main road in his panic.