In Pixar’s Cars 3, which racer wins the opening Florida 500?

In Pixar’s Cars 3, Jackson Storm wins the opening Florida 500.

Jackson Storm is a next-generation Piston Cup racer whose advanced training and technology make him faster than the established competitors. His dominance at the Florida 500 contributes to Lightning McQueen’s fear that the older generation of racers is becoming obsolete. The race is one of the film’s first major signs that the sport has changed.

Lightning attempts to compete with Storm after an intense training period, but a crash ends his race. He returns to racing with help from his new trainer, Cruz Ramirez, and his longtime crew chief, Smokey. The story eventually shifts from simply defeating Storm to deciding what kind of racer and mentor Lightning wants to become.

Jackson Storm is voiced by Armie Hammer. He is not the same character as Chick Hicks, Lightning’s main rival in the original Cars, even though both are portrayed as major competitors.