Cruz Ramirez is the female race trainer who helps Lightning McQueen in Pixar’s Cars 3.
Cruz works at the Rust-eze Racing Center, where she uses modern training techniques to prepare racers. She initially serves as Lightning’s trainer after he struggles against younger competitors such as Jackson Storm. Her knowledge of simulation, fitness routines, and racing technology helps Lightning rebuild his confidence.
Cruz has her own ambitions, however. She dreamed of becoming a racer but was steered toward training instead. Her partnership with Lightning eventually leads her to compete herself, giving the film a second-generation story about opportunity and self-belief.
Sally Carrera is Lightning’s friend and the town attorney, while Holley Shiftwell appears in Cars 2 as a spy. Mia is one of Lightning’s fan twins in the first film. Cruz Ramirez is the specific trainer introduced in Cars 3.