The veteran racer Lightning McQueen meets in Cars 3 is Smokey.
Smokey is a Hudson Hornet-associated racing mentor who lives in Thomasville, Georgia. He knew Doc Hudson and explains how Doc recovered emotionally after his racing career was cut short.
McQueen visits Smokey while searching for a way to compete with the technologically advanced Jackson Storm. Smokey helps him understand that a racer's legacy can continue through teaching and helping others, rather than only through personal victories.
The Thomasville sequence also introduces several former racers, including Louise Nash, River Scott, and Junior Moon. Their stories connect McQueen's present to an older era of stock-car racing and reinforce the importance of Doc Hudson's influence.