The King (Cars)

Strip "The King" Weathers is a race car in the film Cars.

Cars
""The King," Strip Weathers, has seen it all. From his humble beginnings on the Piston Cup circuit, to the glitzy sponsorship and media attention he has today. This seven time Piston Cup Champion is the winningest racecar in all of Piston Cup history. He's loved every second of his racing career, but truth be told, The King is ready for a slower pace. He's looking forward to more time with his queen, Mrs. The King."

"After a spectacular crash The King looked pretty beat up, but rest assured he was back on his tires in no time flat! When you've been racing and crashing as long as he has, you can handle a few scrapes and bruises."

He tied for first place with Lightning McQueen and Chick Hicks in the Piston Cup final, so a tie-breaking race was scheduled in California. He races for the team "Dinoco". The King attempts to offer McQueen a dime's worth of free advice, saying it is the crew, not the racer, that wins races. But Lightning was too distracted to pay attention. At the race in Los Angeles, The King led for most of the time until Lightning used a trick from Doc Hudson to get onto the track after Chick rammed him onto the infield during the final lap. After getting frustrated that he wasn't going to win, Chick hits The King and sent him flying through the air above the infield and get damaged upon contact of the ground. McQueen, with a moment of conscience and is fearful that Weathers will be doomed to the same fate as Doc, helped him make it to the finish line, much to everyone's amazement.

Cars: The Video Game
In Cars: The Video Game, The King returns as a playable character. While retired, he is still an unlockable character for Piston Cup racing. As a result, Darrell Cartrip's commentary lines include "It sure is nice to have Weathers back on the track!" He is only playable in the Piston Cup races in Arcade and Vs. Modes. Strangely, he doesn't appear in Story Mode. However, he was mentioned in the cut-scene for Palm Mile Speedway where Darrell Cartrip says that it's now gonna be Lightning vs. Chick with the King retired.

Disney INFINITY
In Disney INFINITY, The King appears many times as a racing opponent. He also appears in some cut-scenes, including one where he talks to Luigi.

Personality
Unlike other racers, such as Lightning McQueen and Chick Hicks, The King is very kind and cares for others.

Trivia

 * Strip is based on a 1970 Plymouth Superbird with a 426 ci hemi (about seven liters) engine, the same model Richard Petty drove. The 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.
 * The King's crash seems to be a re-creation of Petty's real-life Daytona 500 accident in 1988 with the exception that it was not caused by a collision with another driver as in the movie. The bit which McQueen assists him to the finish line seems to be based on the 1976 incident, albeit by the pit crew.
 * In the Danish version, The King is voiced by eight-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen.
 * In the Finnish version, The King is voiced by Finnish two-time Formula One World Champion Mika Häkkinen.
 * In the German version, he is voiced by Austrian three-time Formula One World Champion Niki Lauda.
 * Strip never lets Chick pass him.