Trust Yer Ol' Pal, Mater

"Trust Yer Ol' Pal, Mater" is the first episode of LEGO Pixar: Bricktoons focusing on Cars.
==Summary==
When Lightning McQueen needs repairs before a big race, Mater’s fixes are anything but conventional … but might be just the thing needed for victory.
==Plot==
The short begins with Lightning McQueen reciting his "Speed. I am Speed" line before racing around Willy's Butte. Lightning McQueen is practicing and preparing for a race. After racing around for a bit, Lightning then recreates his mentor Doc Hudson's famous dirt turn. McQueen is in the moment until Lightning's best friend Mater pops out of nowhere and scares Lightning, causing him to crash nearby. Mater sees Lightning crash and nervously leaves, as one of Lightning's tires rolls towards Mater. 
Later at Ramone's House of Body Art, Ramone is observing Lightning and is shocked to see Lightning in a bad and damaged condition. When Ramone asks what happened at Willy's Butte, Mater responses that it is a complete mystery and that something spooked Lightning, to which Lightning sarcastically wonders who could have broken his consideration. (Lightning knowing that it was Mater that caused him to crash) Lightning then asks Ramone if he can fix him up and put him back together before the big championship race later as Lightning says he's only a few points behind H.J. Hollis, whom Lightning wants to beat. Ramone says he has a few spare parts out in the back that could help Lightning's repairs much to Lightning's dismay as he considers himself an "Instrument of Speed." Mater goes out back and starts grabbing several replacement parts for Lightning, but Lightning on the other hand doesn't want the parts as he thinks he can't beat H.J. Hollis with random parts and junk and considers not going to the race. Mater lowers Lightning down and tells him that he was able to win several Piston Cup's because Lightning never quitted, not because of the parts Lightning had, which motivates Lightning. Mater then tells Lightning if he's going to let Hollis steal the championship from him to which Lightning says no. Mater then begins to put the replacement parts on Lighting to which Lightning puts all his trust on Mater.
Later at the 400 Invitation, the announcer, Moe Torren announces that today's race will be the last one in the season and will be an interesting race between H.J. Hollis and Lightning McQueen as the latter only a few points behind the former. Lightning then emerges from his garage in his new Monster Truck form, much to Lightning's dismay. Both Moe and Robyn Rhode are surprised by McQueen's new appearance, but Robyn states that there talking to the Lightning McQueen and that she considers this an Advanced Strategy for Lightning as Lightning makes his way to the track. Hollis then sees McQueen and starts teasing him about his new appearance and then tells him that he will be the one to win the championship much to McQueen's chagrin. Mater tries to cheer Lightning up, but Lightning then tells Mater (over headset) that his new appearance is humiliating and wonders why he let Mater talk him into going to the championship. Mater then tells Lightning that what's the worst that can happen to which Lightning responds that he loses the race, his reputation is ruined, and he goes down to be "Lighting McQueen, the goofiest=looking loser in the history of losers" much to Mater's surprise. Mater then tells Lightning that a lot can happen in 399 laps as the race begins. All the Next-Gen Cars start speeding, while Lightning stays behind due to how his new modifications slowing him down with Robyn even commenting that Lightning is in a "catastrophic" situation. Hollis looks at Lightning through the leaderboard and comments on how he will be the one winning the Piston Cup. Several laps go by, with Lightning still in last place. Lightning then tells Mater that he has never won a race looking like a Monster Truck, but Mater comments that he never lost a race looking like a Monster Truck, which encourages Lightning to speed up. As the final lap approaches, Moe and Robyn comment that Hollis and Flip Dover have the lead but are surprised to see that Lightning was able to keep up even after 399 laps. Just then, both Hollis and Dover are seen pushing each other around until they both clash with each other and injure themselves in the process. The other cars behind them see them and try to brake and stop themselves from crashing but end up crashing into Hollis and Dover and all the cars create a pileup on the track. Moe and Robyn see this and believe all the racers have piled up, but they then see Lightning, who wasn't seen colliding with the other racers, approaching. McQueen braces himself for impact but notices his big tires going through the destroyed track and speeds up. Mater then tells Lightning if he's okay and Lightning responds that he has made this kind of jump before to which Mater replies that Lightning that he hasn't made it over, looking like that, but Lightning says he also has never made it looking like that. Lightning sees the pileup, jumps from the debris, soars through the air and manages to jump over the pileup as he continues racing to the finish line. Moe and Robyn comment that McQueen may be actual be able to win the race, however Hollis emerges from the pileup and tries to speed up towards the finish line. McQueen and Hollis race side-by-side and the two of them try to reach the finish line. Both of them pass the finish line at the same time, but McQueen manages to win the race due to his big tires crossing the finish line first. Moe and Robyn declare McQueen the winner as Lightning celebrates his victory with Hollis angrily reacting. 
At the winning ceremony, Lightning is next to his newly won Piston Cup as the crowd cheers for him. Robyn then asks McQueen a question on what to take away from today's race. McQueen tells Robyn that he wasn't even going to show up today due to his appearance and he was certain that he was going to fail the race and that failing can be scary, something that even Hollis comments on. McQueen then comments on how Mater showed him that giving up is worse than losing and that no one knows unless they try. Lightning then tells Mater that his win is all thanks to him and invites Mater to join alongside him. Mater tells Lightning that he's so proud of him and suggests that McQueen's Monster Truck form be his new appearance from now on, something that McQueen doesn't agree with as the two fist bump with their tires as the short ends with Lightning and Mater smiling for the camera. 
==Characters==
*Lightning McQueen
*Mater
*Ramone
*H.J. Hollis
*Flip Dover
*Moe Torren
*Robyn Rhode
==Trivia== 
*This is the first piece of Cars media that Cruz Ramirez doesn't appear in as she previously appeared in various Cars shorts released after Cars 3 including Cars on the Road.
*This short has several references to previous Cars projects: 
**Near the beginning of the short, Lightning McQueen is seen performing Doc Hudson's famous Dirt Turn from the first Cars film until he is interrupted by Mater.
**At the 400 Invitation, Lightning emerges from his garage in a similar matter to his introduction in the first film, when McQueen emerged from Mack's trailer. 
**This is the fourth time in the franchise where several race cars crash into each other and/or form a pileup, the first being the original Cars film, the second being Cars 2, and the third being Cars 3. 
**Lightning McQueen recreates the scene from the original Cars film, in which he jumps on top of a pileup of racers, soars through the air, jumps over the pileup and lands back on the track. This is even mentioned in the short.
*This is the third time Lightning McQueen is seen in his Monster Truck form following Cars: The Video Game and Mater's Tall Tales short, Monster Truck Mater and the first time in LEGO. 
*McQueen returns in his form from the LEGO Cars 2 line of sets with the Cars 3 bodywork. But Mater returns in his LEGO Cars 2 form.
**Todd appears for the second time in his LEGO form in this series, the first time was in LEGO The Incredibles but now his Cars version has his LEGO form.
**Ramone has his LEGO version for the first time.
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Disney+ Originals
Category:Cars
Category:Series premieres