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Animator and aspiring filmmaker Ariya Alexander Berenji is developing a Cars prequel fan film about Strip Weathers before he became known as The King. The project features 3D character designs drawing on NASCAR figures and liveries, but the source report does not confirm a release date or an official Pixar connection.
Animator and aspiring filmmaker Ariya Alexander Berenji is developing an unofficial Cars fan prequel about Strip Weathers before the character became the racing legend known as The King. The project, presented through Berenji’s R-ya Productions YouTube channel, pairs original 3D designs with references to NASCAR drivers and car liveries.
The story is set in the 1980s and focuses on a younger Weathers, the character inspired by seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty. In Pixar’s 2006 film Cars, Petty voiced The King, whose character design drew on Petty’s famous blue Plymouth Superbird. For the prequel, Berenji’s younger Weathers wears a blue-and-orange paint scheme inspired by Petty’s later racing colors, rather than the solid blue associated with his earlier cars and the established King.
The project’s other designs draw on figures from stock-car racing. A character based on Dale Earnhardt wears the number three and black livery, with the fictional sponsor “Sidewall Shine” in place of Goodwrench. Young Chick Hicks, the antagonist in the original Cars, gets a red-and-gold look inspired by Bill Elliott’s number nine Ford Thunderbird, according to The Drive’s report on the project.
Berenji has also created Toni Jo Torque, a new character known as “The Queen.” She is described in the report as a five-time champion who mentors Weathers and Hicks. Her design combines stock-car styling with elements of a Porsche 935, while her colors reference liveries associated with Shawna Robinson, Danica Patrick and Toni Breidinger. The planned settings include Copper Canyon Speedway, previously seen in Cars 3, alongside a bowling alley and an ice cream parlor serving “frozen coolant.”
How NASCAR Shapes the Fan Film
The project connects the Cars franchise’s fictional racing world with real NASCAR history. Its character designs give viewers recognizable visual references to drivers and sponsor schemes, while the prequel premise imagines an earlier stage in the life of a character already presented in Pixar’s film as a celebrated champion.
For fans, the appeal is also in how the designs distinguish the younger Weathers from the familiar King. The Petty-inspired blue-and-orange colors signal a different point in his career while preserving a connection to the character’s real-world inspiration. The work is, however, a fan project, not an announced Pixar production, and no official franchise involvement is established in the source report.
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From Pixar’s King to a Younger Weathers
Cars was released in 2006 and features talking vehicles competing in a world built around automobile and racing culture. Richard Petty voiced The King, a character based on Petty and his racing identity. The original film’s use of real racing references is the foundation for Berenji’s attempt to build a story around Weathers before his established status as a champion.
The project also draws on characters already known from the franchise: Chick Hicks appeared as The King’s rival in the first Cars film, with Michael Keaton providing his voice. Berenji’s proposed prequel changes Hicks’ racing look and places him in a story alongside a newly created mentor figure. The setting and retro styling are intended to evoke the 1980s, while the selected cars and liveries nod to earlier and later moments in stock-car racing.
““Ariya Alexander Berenji, a self-described aspiring filmmaker with a YouTube channel called R-ya Productions, is making a prequel Cars fan film.””
— The Drive, reporting on Berenji’s project
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Release Plans and Story Details
The source report does not give a release date, production schedule, runtime or distribution plan. It also does not establish how much of the film has been completed beyond the 3D character designs and project details described in the report. Further story information, including whether additional NASCAR-inspired characters will appear, has not been confirmed.
The project is presented as a fan film made by Berenji through R-ya Productions. The source does not report Pixar’s involvement or authorization, so the project should not be described as an official Cars prequel. Its eventual availability and format remain unknown.
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More Updates From R-ya Productions
The Drive directs readers to R-ya Productions’ YouTube channel for updates on the project. The next useful developments would be confirmation of a release timetable, additional footage or finished scenes, and details about where the completed fan film could be watched. Until Berenji shares those details, the scope and completion status of the film remain open.
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Key Questions
Who is making the Cars prequel fan film?
Ariya Alexander Berenji, an aspiring filmmaker who posts through the R-ya Productions YouTube channel, is developing it.
What is the fan film about?
It is planned as a prequel about Strip Weathers before he became known as The King, with a story set in the 1980s.
Which NASCAR figures inspired the character designs?
The reported designs reference Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott, among other racing figures. A new mentor character, Toni Jo Torque, also draws on liveries associated with several women in racing.
Is Pixar producing the film?
The source describes it as a fan film and does not report Pixar involvement. It should not be treated as an official franchise production.
When will the film be released?
No release date is provided in the source report. R-ya Productions’ YouTube channel is identified as the place to follow for updates.
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