2005 Los Angeles Tiebreaker Race

**A 200-lap tiebreaker race** was held on November 13, 2005, between The King, Chick Hicks, and Lightning McQueen, at the Los Angeles International Speedway. The 3 of them were involved in a 3-way tie a week prior at the Dinoco 400, meaning that a tiebreaker race would be held between the three of them to determine who would get the points for first, second, and third, as well as who would win the 2005 Piston Cup. In the days leading up to the race, Lightning McQueen was missing. There were searches carried out across the country, but it was a car named Doc Hudson (The Fabulous Hudson Hornet) who called Piston Cup officials, telling them that McQueen was in a small town along Route 66 called Radiator Springs. He was found wearing whitewall tires. Since McQueen missed qualifying, he had to start from 3rd place, behind Chick Hicks (2nd) and The King (1st).

## Race report

When the green flag waved, Lightning McQueen got up to speed later than Hicks and The King, who would lead until the final lap. On Lap 50, McQueen caught up to Hicks and The King, and looked to the inside of Chick Hicks, who slammed the door on him, taking back second. Shortly afterwards, McQueen lost his concentration into Turn 3, swerving to the left so hard he spun out into the infield. Once he got back on the track, he raced for another lap before pulling into the pits, where he had a new pit crew (his new friends from Radiator Springs) and his crew chief was none other than the Hudson Hornet, who was seen by the public for the first time in over 51 years. On Lap 140, McQueen got back onto the lead lap, and over the next 29 laps, McQueen would make up a lot of ground. On Lap 189, he caught up with Chick Hicks again, who did a PIT maneuver on McQueen, who didn’t wreck out because he drove backwards past Hicks! On Lap 192, Hicks popped McQueen’s right rear tire, so the second caution of the race was called, with the first instance of the pace car being deployed. McQueen went into the pits, where his new pitty, Guido, changed all 4 of his tires in under 6 seconds! The fastest pit stop in Piston Cup history up to that point. McQueen stayed on the lead lap, too, as he beat the pace car out of the pits. Over the next several laps, he caught back up to Hicks and The King, and on the final lap, he fought with Chick Hicks for second, but in an attempt to wreck both McQueen and The King, Chick got himself and The King loose, but McQueen slid onto the infield. But he used an old 1950s move that he lad learned from the Hudson Hornet in Radiator Springs, and took the lead of the race. The King was proud of McQueen so he let McQueen lead to the checkered flag while he held Chick Hicks back. On Turn 3, Chick said that he “wouldn’t come behind [The King] again” and did a PIT maneuver on The King, too, and he went airborne and rolled over several times on the infield before stopping. Everyone was shocked by this, including Lightning McQueen. Who gave up his championship to help The King finish his last race. This allowed Chick Hicks to win the race, as well as the 2005 Piston Cup season. Much to everyone’s anger, as he only won because he wrecked The King. On the podium, Chick only got his Piston Cup, and confetti being shot at him hard. Everyone booed him, and threw various objects at him. Because Hicks caused The King to have a hard crash, and he won the championship because of that, he didn’t get the prize money he would have received if he had won fairly. As for Lightning McQueen, he was offered the Dinoco sponsorship from Tex Dinoco II, but he politely declined, opting to stay with Rust-Eze. Thus, Cal Weathers was signed on to replace The King at Dinoco.

## Results

1. Chick Hicks
2. Strip “The King” Weathers
3. Lightning McQueen