#crabby denny cameo lolol

[whipplefilter]

I feel like there's a fluff story somewhere about how Doc has Lightning's racing paraphernalia in his garage (like that Rust-eze sign we see hanging on the wall)

If anyone thought I was going to answer this ask without Harv, prepare to be disappointed!

Some headcanons:

Lightning’s not great at making time for signing memorabilia. He loves meet n’ greets and the media circuit generally writ–thrives on it. But without the immediate feedback and social interaction of that, the autograph-signing is just tedious. See, what happens is Harv ships a gigantic box of hats, diecasts, antenna toppers, whatever, and Lightning is supposed to sign them all to they can be distributed via online contests, trackside giveaways, all the usual Piston Cup merch shops and online stores. It’s boring and he hates it.

Lightning has, at least once, in a moment of sheer desperation and real potential of being drowned in a barrage of Rusteze hats, tried to enlist the assistance of others to sign his things… But Mater’s penmanship was too bad, and Luigi’s was altogether too good.

Merch day is actually no one’s favorite day in Radiator Springs, because the FedEx truck that delivers it all is angry and always manages to double-park someone. And it’s just generally disruptive and industrial in ways that Radiator Springs, back on the map or not, simply isn’t. 

Sometimes, Lightning’s only incentive to get all his signing finished is he feels bad about the town having such a bad day while Mr. FedEx is waiting around. The townsfolk would like to say they don’t begrudge Lighting this, and they totally understand, and they love him no matter what, but they absolutely do begrudge him this, and they are angry about understanding even if they understand, and their eternal love becomes very questionable if it hits Hour 12 and Mr. FedEx is still passive aggressively complaining about Lightning’s attention span, work ethic, penmanship, etc. etc. etc.

Finally, FINALLY, Lightning gets to the last autograph. It’s a Rusteze sign. Just as he’s about to unleash his final flourish, Doc puts out a tire.

“Hold on, son. This one’s mine,” he says.

Doc’s never even bothered to be in town on Merch Day, he’s that unimpressed with that aspect of the noveau Piston Cup. And maybe it’s just a stupid sign, but… you know. Maybe it’s because Lightning knows it’s just a stupid sign that it means so much that Doc still wants to keep one for himself. Wants to display it in his office, even! The office, the contents of which Lightning still isn’t allowed to breathe on, much less touch. It makes Lightning really, really proud.

“I could sign it,” Lightning offers. Then he chuckles. “You know, for when you sell it on eBay fifty years from now.”

Doc looks at his sign, and then he looks at the pile of other signs. And he says, “For the sake of my sale, it’s best you don’t.”

First Sign Penmanship:

Last Sign Penmanship: