In Pixar’s Cars 3, Smokey trains Lightning McQueen in Thomasville.
Smokey is a former crew chief and mechanic who knew Doc Hudson during Doc’s racing years. McQueen seeks him out after learning more about Doc’s past and discovering that Doc’s earlier racing community can help him understand how to compete in a changing sport.
Smokey’s coaching is not limited to mechanical advice. He helps McQueen reconnect with the lessons and relationships that shaped Doc’s career, while the other veterans of Thomasville provide historical perspective on the older racing era.
Louise Nash and Junior Moon are also important Thomasville figures, but they do not serve as McQueen’s principal trainer. Doc Hudson is McQueen’s mentor in the first film, whereas Smokey fills this training role in Cars 3.