In Pixar's Cars 3, the veteran racer who knew Doc Hudson in Thomasville is Smokey.
Smokey lives in Thomasville, a former racing center connected with Doc Hudson's early career. After Lightning McQueen's modern training fails to produce results against Jackson Storm, he travels to Thomasville with Cruz Ramirez and meets Smokey.
Smokey tells McQueen stories about Doc and explains how the Hudson Hornet learned to race more effectively. Rather than encouraging McQueen to copy younger racers, Smokey helps him use experience, strategy, and knowledge of the track.
The character represents the older generation of stock-car racing and acts as a bridge between Doc's history and McQueen's future. His advice also helps McQueen realize that Cruz has the talent to become a top-level competitor.