(This is my first ever fic, so it'll probably suck)
McQueen's First Title
(Normal POV)
Lightning McQueen was in his zone, and no one was getting him out of it. "Speed" he whispered to himself "I. Am. Speed." Sure, his friends from back home in Radiator Springs were there, but right now, in this moment, nothing else mattered other than finally winning that Piston Cup. He had come so close the past two years, and it slipped right through his grasp. His rookie season, he gave up the title to help Strip 'The King' Weathers across the finish line to finish his final race, then last year, in the Dinoco 400, his engine blew out with only 20 laps to go. It was time to finish the job once and for all. "One winner, 42 losers, and I have been one of those 42 for too damn long." Then on cue, Doc bangs on Mack's trailer door "Hey Rookie, you ready?" Lightning turns on his interior speakers (Cars-verse version of headphones) and turns on Real Gone-Sheryl Crow, "You bet your tailpipe I'm ready, Doc"
The door of the trailer opens, the blinding lights and deafening noise hit him like a tidal wave, but it didn't phase him. He looked at everybody, and revved his engine so loud you could hear it in California. Gave one last look at his beloved girlfriend, Sally Carrera, and then did his signature Ka-Chow in the most emphatic way possible right at the paparazzi.
It was race time, and Lightning McQueen was not going to lose.
(RSN Broadcast)
"You are looking live at Motor Speedway of the South in Bristol, Tennessee, for tonight's running of the Dinoco 400. I'm Brent Mustangberger along with Bob Cutlass and Darrell Cartrip, and we're here for what could be a night to remember for one of these 43 cars." Brent boomed in his usual sign on for Piston Cup races, but all of them knew something was different about tonight, they all knew that it was gonna be a big night. Darrell pipes up "I don't know about y'all, but I think it's McQueen's time. He has come so close the past couple years, but never quite made it, the blown tire in '05, last year the engine. I think he's gonna break his Dinoco 400 hex, and we're gonna see number 95 of RustEze racing in victory lane, Piston Cup by his side." Bob chimes in "I think you're right, Darrell, Lightning McQueen is a car on a mission, and nothing will keep him from getting that Piston Cup, the way he's been racing the last few weeks, he has a 90 point lead over Jr. and a 120 point lead over Hicks. All McQueen has to do is place in the top 10, and he's got the Piston Cup locked." "Well, he has been dominant down the stretch, winning 3 of the last 4, especially his win in Cleveland last week, taking that by a lap and a half" Mustangberger replied, agreeing with the other announcers. "Here they come to take the green, biggest race of the year, BOOGITY BOOGITY BOOGITY, LET'S GO RACIN' BOYS!" Darrell yells out, signifying the race is starting.
(McQueen's POV)
I know what I gotta do, and no one is gonna stop me, not today. Not a rookie mistake like not taking tires a couple years back, and not bad luck like my engine failure last year. I hear Doc on my radio "Hey kid, you hear me" "Loud and clear". Doc reminds me of my strategy "Remember, you are starting out in 6th, and you are staying back in 6th until around lap 200. Remember not to let Hicks get in front of you" That was crucial. Chick's racing style has always been blocking. He is exceedingly hard to pass, so the strategy that Me, Jr, and a couple of other cars came up with is to block Chick from getting to me, by making a pack with me and Jr at the front, and once Chick gets up here from 28th, where he's starting, then he is gonna have to obviously and blatantly wreck someone, disqualifying him. 175 laps in, and the plan is going smoothly, we're right on the top 5's tail, blocking anybody else from getting to me. Then, out of the corner of my eye on the jumbotron, I can see a green figure flipping around in the air, finally, it comes down, upside down right into the infield, skidding to a stop. I radio Jr. "Dude, was that Chick that just went airborne? Jr replies "Yeah it was, good buddy. He finally got what was coming to him" Right as Jr says that, Doc chimes in "Quit yapping about Chick, and get your tailpipe to the pits. We still have a race to win". With that, the caution came out and I booked it to my pit box. Guido was waiting for me when I got there. "You know the drill, Gas and Tires, 8 seconds tops!" I yell out, refocusing. Guido takes this as a personal challenge, and gets me out there in 5. I easily win the race off pit road and I have the lead. 'Just what I wanted' I think to myself.
(RSN Broadcast)
"Well, it looks like Chick is outta the race, and his shot at the Piston Cup this year is over. Can't help but not feel sorry for 'em" Darrell bluntly states. "This is karma biting him in the tailpipe for wrecking The King back in '05." The other announcers agree, the cars come to the restart, Brent calls out "Green flag is out, 215 to go, and Lightning McQueen is your new leader" "Guys, McQueen has been running good all night" Darrell comments "If he can keep pulling away, it might be Cleveland all over again." (Fast forward to 10 to go) Bob says to Darrell "You were right, Darrell, this is McQueen's night. He is 20 seconds ahead of the rest of the field, lapping the back half of the pack."
(McQueen's POV)
This is it. I have been dreaming about this my whole life. Doc's voice comes onto my speakers "Hey kid, you gotta spin behind you, keep going" I look on the jumbotron and the #25 spun and is now at the very back, so I keep going. This is it, the last lap. Everybody is chanting "McQueen, McQueen, McQueen" but then I hear out of the crowd "Come on Stickers, you got this, baby!" It's Sally, right in front of the finish line. Doc comes on the radio "Float like a Cadillac" I scream as loud as I can "STING LIKE A BEEMER!"
(RSN Announcers)
Brent cries out "This is it, guys, put a fork in it! The Bolt has broken his bad luck streak at Motor Speedway of the South! Darrell obviously hyped up, calls the big finish "Checkered flag is out aaaand… (McQueen crosses the line) LIGHTNING MCQUEEN HAS WON THE PISTON CUP! Third time's a charm for the young hotshot."
(McQueen's POV)
All that is going through my mind as I exit turn 4 is "Redline it, Lightning. You have came too far. If you can, HIT 220mph" I feel my engine heat up, and I keep pushing harder, My tires wear, my axles can barely handle the strain, the wind feels like a wall on my windshield. I cross the checkered finish line. I did it. After 2 failures at this very speedway, I finally won the Piston Cup. It takes a second for me to realize it, but once I do, I can't contain myself. I rush over to the grass, and proceed to do donuts, as that is the tradition when you win the Piston Cup. After all of that, I drive over to victory lane, where everybody is waiting for me, not even a second goes by before I hear "Stickers!" and the beautiful blue Porsche 911 that I so deeply love is all over me. I then hear my (t)rusty ol' tow truck best friend yell out "Way to go, Buddy!" Soon, everybody is congratulating me. "Thank you so much, everybody. I couldn't have done it without y'all" Then, I hear Cutlass's voice "Introducing your winner of the 2007 Piston Cup..." I make my way to the stage, right behind the banner. "Lightning McQueen!" the confetti falls, the fireworks go off, and there it is, right by my side. The Piston Cup. Kori Turbowitz, an RSN reporter, asks me "Mr. McQueen, that was your first win here at Bristol, what did you do differently?" I reply "Just didn't have any rookie mistakes, and the Manufacturer was on my side." Kori then asks me "This is your first Piston Cup, how are you going to celebrate?" I then look at all my friends. "I'm gonna go back home to Radiator Springs, and just take it slow for a while"