Charlie Checker
- "Piston Cup Pace Car" redirects here. For the pace car from Cars 3, see Pat Traxson.
| Charlie Checker | |||||
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| Vehicle type | 2004 Capitol Motors Econ 6 YL 3.0 Liter | ||||
| Occupation | Piston Cup pace car (formerly)
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Charlie Checker is a 2004 Capitol Motors Econ 6 YL 3.0 Liter[1] who, for a time, was the official pace car for the Piston Cup Racing Series. He has a yellow livery, with the Piston Cup logo on his doors and hood, and the words "Official Pace Car" spanning across his hood. He has blue eyes, amber light on his roof, and chrome rims.
Pat Traxson would later supersede his position as the Piston Cup's pace car.
History
Cars
In Cars, Charlie is working during the Dinoco 400 at the Motor Speedway of the South. After a large accident caused by Chick Hicks, most of the racers head into the pits, but Lightning McQueen stays out on the track while Charlie keeps his pace.
Later at the Los Angeles International Speedway tie-breaker race, after Hicks gives McQueen a flat tire, Checker drives onto the track to lead Strip Weathers and Chick Hicks while McQueen heads into the pits. McQueen and his team know that he has to get back out quickly, as if he does not make it out before Checker passes, he will be an entire lap down with only ten laps to go, making his victory impossible. A record-breaking pit stop by Guido allows Lightning to narrowly beat the pace car, giving him a helpful lead.
Such Work Pays Off
In the Such Work Pays Off comic from The Official Magazine, Charlie is going to lead a parade of race cars in Paris, but he disappears just before it begins. WHen others find him, he has a flat tire, and none of the local mechanics have the correct parts to replace it. Desperate for a solution, Mater comes to his rescue and tows him during the parade.
Bio
Charlie Checker is the Piston Cup Official Pace Car. Charlie wears his amber lights with pride. He's no horsepower champ, but he doesn't mind. After all, he's always in the lead and NOBODY passes him, and that is exactly how he likes it.
Gallery
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Artwork
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Cars
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Die-cast
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2007 die-cast release
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2008 die-cast release
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2019 release with Race official tom
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2020 release with Lightning McQueen
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2022 release
Trivia
- Charlie's die-cast incorrectly depicts him with orange tail lights. However, Mattel later issued a correct version with the proper red tail lights.
- The Capitol Motors Econ was probably based on the 1997 - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix Pace Car.