Smokey is the veteran race car who trains Lightning McQueen in Pixar's Cars 3.
Smokey lives in Thomasville, Georgia, a former racing center associated with Doc Hudson's past. When McQueen visits the town seeking a way to compete with Jackson Storm, Smokey helps him understand that Doc's greatest strength was not simply speed. It was the knowledge he gained and shared.
Smokey becomes the senior figure in a training group that includes Cruz Ramirez and other vehicles connected with Doc's history. His advice helps McQueen reconnect with Doc's legacy and rethink his future in racing.
Doc Hudson does not train McQueen in Cars 3 because the character died before the film's events; he appears through memories and archival material. Rusty Rust-eze and Tex Dinoco are business figures, not Smokey's equivalent as McQueen's mentor.