DETOUR AHEAD FOR COASTING ‘CARS’?

With $244 million in U.S. ticket sales, “Cars” may be lapping the competition in the Oscar race for best animated film -- at least if the track record for the category over the last five years holds true. Four times the animation winner has been a non-sequel with the biggest domestic box-office take. Yes, “Shrek 2” earned more than 2004 champ “The Incredibles,” but, with rare exceptions (like best picture winner “The Godfather: Part II” in 1974), voters prefer original films just out of the gate.

Still, there are a couple of wild cards in this mix that could stir things up. “Happy Feet,” the movie about a dancing penguin, opens Friday. If it is a runaway success at the box office, that could set back “Cars’ ” chances.

But the biggest wild card is whether the newly released “Flushed Away” resonates with academy members. If its story of a spoiled “society mouse” who suddenly loses everything hits a nerve with spoiled showbiz titans worried about their fortunes in chancy Hollywood, it could pull off an upset.

-- Tom O’Neil