In Pixar's Cars, the veteran racer who once lived in Radiator Springs is Doc Hudson.
Doc is a 1951 Hudson Hornet and the town's judge and physician. He secretly competed as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, winning three Piston Cups before a crash ended his racing career and left him dissatisfied with the sport's treatment of older competitors.
When Lightning McQueen arrives, Doc initially resents racing and refuses to help him. McQueen eventually discovers Doc's history, and Doc agrees to train him for the final Piston Cup race. The character's story links the town's past to McQueen's future.
Doc is voiced by Paul Newman, whose own career and reputation helped give the character unusual warmth and authority. The real Hudson Hornet was also a notable American stock car, but Doc himself is fictional.