In Pixar's Cars, Doc Hudson becomes the judge of Lightning McQueen's punishment.
Doc Hudson is Radiator Springs's medical doctor and a respected local figure. After Lightning damages the town's road, Doc presides over the court proceeding that determines how the newcomer will make amends. He sentences Lightning to repave the road under supervision rather than allowing him to leave immediately.
Doc initially hides his past from Lightning. Newspaper clippings later reveal that he was the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, a three-time Piston Cup champion who won the series in 1951, 1952, and 1953. A severe crash ended his racing career, and he became bitter after the racing world moved on without him.
Doc eventually becomes Lightning's crew chief and teaches him lessons about cornering, patience, and racing intelligently. Paul Newman supplied Doc's English voice in Cars, making the character one of the actor's final major film roles. Doc's history explains both his authority and his reluctance to return to racing.