In Pixar's Cars 3, Lightning McQueen honors Doc Hudson with a new paint design.
Lightning adopts Doc's blue racing colors for the Florida 500, connecting his comeback to the mentor who taught him about racing and character. The design recalls the Hudson Hornet's appearance and signals that Lightning is carrying Doc's knowledge into a new generation rather than simply trying to preserve his own fame.
Doc Hudson had been a celebrated racer and a three-time Piston Cup champion before an injury ended his career. After meeting Lightning, he becomes the young driver's crew chief and mentor in the first Cars. Although Doc is absent from the main events of Cars 3, his influence shapes Lightning's decisions throughout the film.
The paint scheme is not a tribute to Strip Weathers, also known as The King. The King is another major veteran racer in the franchise, but Doc is the character whose colors Lightning deliberately adopts for the climactic competition.