In Pixar's Cars 3, Smokey mentors Lightning McQueen after his crash.
McQueen seeks a way to compete with the technologically advanced Jackson Storm. His sponsor, Sterling, sends him to the Rust-eze Racing Center, but McQueen leaves after an accident during training. He and Cruz Ramirez then travel to Thomasville, where Smokey helps him rethink his approach to racing.
Smokey was Doc Hudson's crew chief and close friend. He explains that Doc did not regain happiness by trying to beat every younger racer; he found purpose by helping McQueen. Smokey's advice therefore connects Cars 3 directly to the emotional legacy of the first film.
Doc Hudson himself cannot mentor McQueen in the present-day story because the character has died before the events of Cars 3. Smokey is the living link to Doc's racing past.