In Pixar’s Cars 3, Lightning McQueen visits the former racing town of Thomasville to train.
McQueen travels to Thomasville with his new trainer, Cruz Ramirez, after struggling to compete with the modern generation of racers. The town is associated with the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, the racing identity once used by Doc Hudson. There, McQueen meets Smokey and other veterans who help him understand Doc’s history and rethink his approach to competition.
Thomasville represents an earlier era of stock-car racing. Its worn facilities and older racers contrast with the high-tech training center and data-driven methods used by Jackson Storm’s generation. The visit gives McQueen a bridge between Doc’s traditional experience and Cruz’s newer athletic potential.
Thomasville is not the same place as Radiator Springs, where McQueen first changes in the original film. It is also not a real town in the Cars story world. The name specifically identifies the former racing community visited during Cars 3’s training section.