In Pixar's Cars 3, who wins the Florida 500 race at the film's climax?

Cruz Ramirez wins the Florida 500 at the climax of Pixar's Cars 3.

Lightning McQueen begins the race intending to defeat Jackson Storm, but he recognizes that Cruz has the talent and racing instinct to compete with the newer generation. He gives her his racing identity and sends her onto the track in his place.

Cruz uses Lightning's number 95 and ultimately defeats Storm. The victory changes the direction of both characters: Cruz becomes a top racer, while Lightning accepts a new role as her mentor and continues Doc Hudson's legacy.

The Florida 500 is fictional, but it is presented as a major stock-car event within the Cars universe. Its ending is not a simple repeat of Lightning's earlier wins; the film uses Cruz's victory to pass the series' racing tradition to a new competitor.