Doc Hudson is the former Piston Cup champion known as the Hudson Hornet in Pixar's Cars.
Doc is the respected town doctor of Radiator Springs, but his quiet life conceals a remarkable racing past. He was a three-time Piston Cup champion and once competed as the Hudson Hornet, a name based on the real Hudson Hornet automobile and its racing reputation.
The character is voiced by Paul Newman, whose own career as an actor and racing enthusiast made the role especially notable. Doc initially resents McQueen because the young car's arrogance reminds him of the way racing treated him after his own career ended.
A common mix-up is calling Strip Weathers “Doc.” Strip, known as The King, is a different veteran racer. Doc's racing history becomes central to McQueen's training and emotional growth near the end of the film.