Roundtable: Who is the GOAT racer in the “Cars” series? 

Recently on the internet, one question has caught the attention of many. Who is the greatest racer of all time in the “Cars” series? While many are quick to go with Lightning McQueen, there are plenty of other options that many will fail to consider. For example, Strip “The King” Weathers has the same amount of Piston Cup wins as McQueen, and many celebrities, such as Stephen A. Smith, have proclaimed the blue race car as their GOAT racer in the beloved Pixar franchise. In this week’s Daily Campus roundtable, our team of writers will name their pick for the most impressive Cars racer. 
 

Evan Rodriguez 

Doc Hudson 

When sports fans mention the greatest three-peats of all time, few mention how the legendary Doc Hudson was able to secure three consecutive Piston Cups from 1951-1953. Essentially, with the talent that the famous Hudson Hornet possessed, he was on a career path similar to Bill Russell that included a record 27 season wins before his infamous crash in the 1954 Fireball Beach 350 that ended his career. While many are quick to name McQueen as the GOAT, you can’t forget that before Hudson became his crew chief, the famous red race car was a notable choke artist that couldn’t beat a washed-up Weathers or an overrated Chick Hicks. With the help of Hudson and an insane race crew, McQueen truly took off, winning four Piston Cups under the tutelage of the wise blue racer. Essentially, he’s not even in the GOAT conversation without the assistance of Hudson and if his accident in 1954 didn’t take him out, there’s no doubt that the legendary Hudson Hornet is undisputedly at the top of the pack.  

Cole Stefan 

Strip Weathers 

If McQueen is the sport’s Gordie Howe, then Weathers is the Piston Cup’s Wayne Gretzky. Hudson may be like Mike Bossy in terms of having the sport’s greatest what-if, but the King has the accolades to back up his reputation as one of the best. He may have never won three in a row like the Hudson Hornet, but Dinoco’s Golden Boy won a record seven Piston Cups over a 37-year career. Based on NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and his blue Plymouth Superbird, Weathers is the only racer to capture the Piston Cup in four different decades, something no player has done in any of the four major sports leagues, MLS or WNBA. Facing tough competition such as three-time Piston Cup champions Darrell Cartrip and Klint Shiftright while vying for the title up until his final season in 2005 tells me all that I need to know. Even though McQueen won seven Piston Cups in approximately half the time it took Tom Brady to win seven Super Bowls, Weathers is the sport’s undisputed king. 

Connor Sargeant 

Lightning McQueen 

What else needs to be said? There are no ifs ands or buts about it, McQueen is the GOAT. After all, McQueen should hold the record for most Piston Cups. In his rookie year, he displayed the greatest act of sportsmanship, helping Weathers across the finish line, losing himself the race. While McQueen’s haters say he doesn’t exist without Hudson, that isn’t the case. It takes a great player to make a great coach. Bill Belichick was regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, though that isn’t necessarily true. Brady was so good that he elevated Belichick to another echelon of greatness, winning six Super Bowls. When Brady left for Tampa Bay, he won his seventh ring without Belichick, who has struggled immensely since his quarterback’s departure. As a racer, Hudson never won a World Grand Prix. McQueen accomplished all this in only 16 years. Similar to Brady, McQueen didn’t need Hudson. He could have found the same success without him.