Pixar’s 2017 film in which Cruz Ramirez trains Lightning McQueen is Cars 3.
Cars 3 follows McQueen as a younger generation of technologically advanced racers threatens his place in the sport. After a serious crash, he works with Cruz Ramirez, a trainer whose own racing potential becomes increasingly important to the story.
The film was directed by Brian Fee, who had worked as a storyboard artist on earlier Pixar productions. It was released in the United States on June 16, 2017, and returned much of the action to the racing world and the communities connected with it.
Cars 3 is not the franchise’s first sequel; it follows Cars 2 from 2011. Its story is also not simply about winning another trophy. It examines mentorship, changing technology, retirement, and the possibility of helping another competitor succeed. Cruz ultimately becomes a major racer in her own right.