In Pixar's Cars, the former race car revealed to be Radiator Springs' judge is Doc Hudson. Doc serves as the town's judge and doctor, but his hidden past is that he was the famous Hudson Hornet racing champion.
Doc won three Piston Cups during his racing career and was named Rookie of the Year in 1951. A crash ended his competitive career, and he became bitter after the racing world moved on without him. He later settled in Radiator Springs, where he kept his identity and history largely private.
Lightning McQueen discovers Doc's past after seeing old newspaper clippings and learning about the Hudson Hornet's success. The revelation changes Lightning's understanding of Doc, who had initially seemed merely stern and unsympathetic. Doc's story also connects the fictional film to the real Hudson Hornet, a car associated with early stock-car racing in the 1950s.