Cruz Ramirez is the young racer trained by Lightning McQueen in Pixar's Cars 3.
Cruz begins the film as Lightning's trainer at the Rust-eze Racing Center. She has extensive technical knowledge and uses modern training tools, but she lacks confidence in her own ability to compete as a racer.
Lightning's coaching gradually reveals that Cruz has genuine racing talent. Their roles eventually reverse in important ways: Cruz helps Lightning understand contemporary training, while Lightning helps Cruz pursue the racing dream she had previously set aside.
Cruz is voiced by Cristela Alonzo. She is not Sally Carrera, Lightning's close friend and the owner of the Cozy Cone Motel, and she is not Louise Nash, a veteran racer who appears in the film's historical racing material. Cruz's arc is central to Cars 3's themes of mentorship and succession.