Louise Nash is the retired racer who inspires Cruz Ramirez in Pixar's Cars 3.
Louise is introduced as a former competitor from the era of the Fabulous Hudson Hornet. She raced as part of the early Piston Cup community and is remembered as one of the sport's pioneering female drivers. Her stories help Cruz understand that a driver's identity is not limited by other people's expectations.
Cruz meets Louise while Lightning visits the Thomasville racing center. Louise's presence connects Cars 3's modern competition with the franchise's earlier racing history, particularly Doc Hudson's past and the older dirt-track tradition.
Louise Nash is a fictional character, though her name and achievements evoke real women in American racing history. She should not be confused with Louise Smith, a real NASCAR pioneer whose name has a similar first name but is not the character's identity.