Mister Strip Weathers

**Mister Strip Weathers** known-by•most-as **Mister The King**, is a seven-time Piston Cup champion who has possessed the Dinoco sponsorship for over twenty years prior to retiring after the 2005 season.

## Background

### Personality

The King is kind and caring about others, unlike Lightning McQueen was at the start of the film. He is a veteran of many races, but is also a devoted husband and enjoys the thought of retirement. He is also an honorable racer and would never resort to cheating. During the final race, The King somehow kept focus as he tried to end his career on a high note. But when Chick Hicks caused him to crash, and witnessed McQueen concede the race when he knew that he wouldn't end up like Doc, he became friends with McQueen after he helped him end his career in 2nd place. Thus, showing that The King did teach McQueen that it's about the crew, not the racer who wins.

## General information

### Physical appearance

The King is painted Dinoco Blue, with the Dinoco sponsor and the number "43". On his trunk, he has a giant, tall blue spoiler.

The King is a 1970 Plymouth Superbird with a 426 Hemi V8 engine, the car Richard Petty drove. The Plymouth Superbird was a heavily modified version of the Plymouth Road Runner, specifically designed for stock car racing. Its radical design was later banned by NASCAR. The King features slightly bigger wheels and a shortened wheelbase - an edit only for the film to make the car more visually appealing. His max speed is 200 MPH and his horsepower is 425 HP (317 kW). He can go 0-60 is 4.8 seconds.

### Personality and traits

The King is kind and caring about others, much unlike Lightning McQueen's former persona. He enjoys the quiet of his home, and spending time with his wife, Lynda Weathers, and his friends, such as Luke Pettlework.

### Powers and abilities

The King is one of the most well-known racers of all time, known for his seven Piston Cup wins, and being the racer chosen to sport the blue Dinoco paint job and logos. His nose cone and huge wing allow for optimum aerodynamics. Despite his age and older make, he holds his own due to his sheer experience and skill on the Piston Cup circuit. He's also able to match and even outrace younger racers than him, as he ties with the likes of Chick and McQueen. He won races and stayed towards the front of the pack right up until the end of his career.

## Biography

### *Cars*

In *Cars*, when Darrell Cartrip and Bob Cutlass are introducing The King, Chick Hicks, and Lightning McQueen to the audience, they describe Weathers as having been "Dinoco's golden boy for years" and speculate on whether or not he will be able to pull off one last victory in the final race of his career.

As Lightning knows that Strip and Chick are both threats to his success, he decides to continue racing while all of the other racers are making pit stops. This decision ultimately causes both of his rear tires to blow out during the final lap, leaving Lightning struggling to reach the finish line, with both Weathers and Hicks catching up to him. The race results in the first three-way tie in Piston Cup history, leaving the audience stunned and excited. A tie-breaker race is set to be held at the Los Angeles International Speedway, which will determine who receives the Piston Cup trophy.

After the race, Lightning is approached by Weathers, who compliments him on his skill, but warns Lightning of his arrogance in not changing his tires. While The King is giving him advice, McQueen begins to daydream about winning the Dinoco sponsorship and becoming a celebrity. Immediately after, the three cars make their way to the winner's circle, where confetti is launched and the audience cheers.

At the race in Los Angeles, Weathers lead for most of the race. However, Lightning takes a considerable lead on the other two racers in the final lap. The King smiles because he is proud of Lightning. He is glad that Lightning became the race car that he wanted him to be all along. He doesn't attempt to retake the lead but instead, tries to keep ahead of Chick Hicks so that Chick doesn't try to hurt Lightning. But Chick, who is frustrated of constantly placing behind The King, performs an illegal PIT maneuver on Weathers, causing him to spin out of control and tumble onto the infield, receiving heavy damage in the process. As Lightning notices this on the big screen above him, he comes to a complete stop in front of the finish line, allowing Chick to pass and win the race. The stadium watches in silence and confusion as Lightning reverses into the field, and pushes The King to the finish line, wanting him to be able to finish his final race.

McQueen's actions capture the attention of the audience, stealing the spotlight away from Chick, who is booed when he claims his trophy. Lynda Weathers kisses Lightning on the cheek and thanks Lightning for what he did, and Tex Dinoco offers McQueen the Dinoco sponsorship for his good sportsmanship, but Lightning instead chooses to stick with Rust-eze.

### *Cars 3*

In *Cars 3*, Strip returns as a crew chief for his nephew, Cal Weathers, who is now the Dinoco racer in the Piston Cup. He appears at the beginning of the film, sarcastically commentating on Cal's poor comeback to McQueen asking if he's having a car wash. He later appears at the end of the film at the Florida 500 with his nephew, when Tex offers Cruz Ramirez the Dinoco sponsorship.