Race to the Edge

by forasgaard

Lightning McQueen almost won his second Piston Cup. Almost. But then he got bad news from Radiator Springs. His friends are missing. To get them back he has to win a special race against his biggest enemy. But is that enough to bring his friends back home? And why is Mater acting so weird?

1. Chapter 1

Many thanks to PotterSanctum on Instagram, who helped me plotting this fanfic.

I do own nothing of the Cars Movies. Every rights contains Disney and Pixar.

I do not get any money.

This is my first fanfiction in English. My mother tongue is German. If there are any grammar or spelling mistakes please let me know.

This story is set after the first Cars movie. Doc Hudson is still alive.

All the caracters are humaised.

Thousands of lights sparkled in the air. The racing track lied untouched in front on them, soon to be raced on. Shimmering heat surrounded the pavement and it smelled like tire rubber, heat and asphalt.

Lightning McQueen tightened his grip around the sterring wheel of his Nascar stock car. Another race. Another Piston Cup. And he would win because he was speed.

Lightning drove onto the track, followed by the other competitors. He heard the sounds engines starting, the sound of cheering fans and it felt great! He smiled his widest smile. Being back on the speedway felt like coming home. He had so many memories connected with that. His first win, the race between the King, Chick Hicks and hinself, guided by Doc Hudson. This was a moment he would never forget.

"Hey best friend! I wish you much success!", he heard a sudden voice through his radio. McQueen laughed. "Thank you Mater, I need that!" His best friend Mater always wished him luck before the race and Lightning bet that's why he won so often. Because he has such great friends. The racers finished their formation lap, waiting for the adrenaline to rush. The green flag came out and the race started.

"Welcome to the last but one race of the Piston Cup!", the moderator Darrel Waltrip opened the race. "It is the best racing weather today and as we can see, the boys are well prepared! Right from the beginning, we can see a clear delineation from the first four drivers. There we have Danny Bush and Kevin Newman. The second place is Ryan Harvick. And on the first place - who else could it be? Lightning McQueen! This is his second season but he already races like a decades-old champion!"

The first 50 laps were over an Lightning was still at the first position. Sometimes Ryan Harvick overtook him but a few curves later Lightning was back on the top list. Mater and his team gave him encouragement through the radio and Lightning enjoyed every sencond. Racing was his life. He didn't even wanna imagine how his life would be without racing laps. It was like he eas born for that.

There were 10 laps to go and the moderators gone crazy about this race. Lightning and Ryan maded a joke out of it to overtake each other every lap and fight about the first position. Ryan sppeded up a little and showed Lightning the tail of his car. McQueen grinned, this was so fun. Suddenly, some voice came out of his radio. "What? Mater, what did you said?", he asked, still concentrating on Ryan in front of him.

But it wasn't Mater. "Hey McQueen. Good race! But should drive a little faster. Your friends back in Radiator Springs will appreciate that! You want them back, don't you?", the voice sounded familiar. Some of the racers, but Lightning couldn't sort him in.

What did he jsut said? His friends back in Radiator Springs? What did he mean? He tought about Sally and Doc, who stayed home because he got a flu. What did the raced meaned with 'want them back'?

"Hello?", Lightning shoutet into the radio. But it was just Mater now. "Shoot man! Don't screma I can hear ya. What's wrong? You're fading!"

He was right! Lightning startled. He was forth! The other racers overtook him easily while he was thinking about his friends! He put the padal to the metal. But he just got close to position three.

The moderators were shooked. "Oh no! Do you see that Darrel? Lightning McQueen is 3rd! He got overtooked by Newman and Harvick!"

"And that although he won almost every last race. Unbelievable! I hope he will catch up within the last eight laps!"

But Lightning didn't. At the end, he passed the finish line at third position. Frustrated he bashed the sterrin wheel. "Great Lightning! Great! Get distracted by the radio! Perfect!" He groaned. Then he heard Mater's voice. It sounded uncomfortable. "Ehhrr... Buddy? You should come into the pit. We've gotta problem."