In Pixar’s Cars 3, Cruz Ramirez directs Lightning McQueen during his first training sessions at the Rust-eze Racing Center.
Cruz works as a modern racing trainer when Lightning arrives at the Rust-eze Racing Center. She uses high-tech simulators, data, and exercise programs to prepare racers. Lightning initially resists her methods because he is accustomed to relying on experience and instinct, while Cruz represents a newer, more analytical approach to competition.
Their training relationship changes as both characters confront limitations. Lightning learns that simply trying to imitate younger racers will not restore his former dominance. Cruz discovers that her own racing ability has been overlooked. Their eventual partnership becomes the emotional center of the film.
Cruz is not Lightning’s original mentor. That role belongs to Doc Hudson in the first film. In Cars 3, however, Cruz becomes both Lightning’s trainer and the successor he helps launch into professional racing.