In Pixar's Cars 3, Smokey was Doc Hudson's mentor at the Thomasville race track. He helps Lightning McQueen understand Doc's earlier career and teaches him how the older champion adapted his racing style.
McQueen travels to Thomasville with Cruz Ramirez while searching for a way to compete against Jackson Storm. Smokey is one of several veteran racers connected to Doc's past, and he explains that Doc did not simply lose interest in racing after his crash. Instead, Doc became discouraged when the racing world treated him as obsolete.
Smokey's guidance changes McQueen's approach to training. Rather than trying to copy a younger racer's raw speed, McQueen learns to use experience, strategy, and knowledge of the track. This lesson later helps him support Cruz during the Florida 500.
Smokey is voiced by Chris Cooper in the English version. The Thomasville sequence also introduces other retired racers, including Louise Nash, River Scott, and Junior Moon, but Smokey is the character who directly serves as Doc's mentor.