Hannah Bobana

lightning, deadpan: What are parents?

This morning, one of my friends linked me to this article about Lightning McQueen's planned appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.

It's written in-universe, which is just *the most charming thing*:

Seven-time Piston Cup Champion Lightning McQueen is preparing to visit the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard in 2026. Nine years after his major race victory at the Florida 500, McQueen will come to Goodwood to experience a very different form of racing to what he was used to in the Piston Cup 

But what really stood out to me is that the article states that Lightning McQueen won 93 of his 434 Piston Cup starts, which (I think?) is new information to me.

It's also a zany win percentage--21%, or an average of one win every five races!!!! The best to ever do it in NASCAR's modern era don't even come close to that, that's how zany that number is. (Though it's worth noting that Kyle Busch's win percentage in Xfinity blows this out of the water. No one will ever touch that--not over the number of races that he held it down.)

I wondered how they decided on 93 wins and 434 starts, because they're such specific numbers, so I had a think about it. And from all I can tell, these numbers are truly just a love song to stock car racing. It's so sweet. 😭

Lightning McQueen has:

7 Championships

--just like Jimmie Johnson, Lightning's racing contemporary who raced full time in the same generation (JJ: 2002-2020 // LMQ: 2006-2017)

93 Wins

--just like Jeff Gordon, icon of NASCAR's Y2K era and the years Pixar was getting off the ground. (Gordon's wins were spread over twice the number of races as LMQ/a career twice as long.)

21% Win Percentage

--just like Herb Thomas, driver of the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, a feat that has never been matched in the top series of NASCAR.

434 races also suggests that the Piston Cup season runs 39+ races a year, which is longer than the NASCAR's 36-race season (+2 weekends for the Clash and All-Star). 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

Can you imagine getting to end of a 39-race season and the Piston Cup is like "JK THERE'S GONNA BE A TIEBREAKER AND ALSO IT'S CLEAR ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN LOS ANGELES. FOR SOME REASON." Forget Chick, The King, and LMQ--think of the teams! The staff! That's how you really know your sport's got a stranglehold on the world populace.

*outside a nearby window, a car without a driver inside is seen rolling down a driveway, with Lightning and Mater running after it in a panic. Sheriff doesn't look outside at all*

lightning: So did you, hypocrite.

sheriff: I was following you.

lightning: That was dumb, I'm a racer.

sally: Finally! You’re proposing!

lightning: How’d you know?