Cruz Ramirez becomes a rookie racer and Lightning McQueen's trainer in Pixar's Cars 3.
At the beginning of Cars 3, Cruz works at the Rust-eze Racing Center as a high-performance trainer. She uses modern simulations and data-driven coaching techniques to prepare racers, while McQueen struggles to keep pace with a new generation of competitors such as Jackson Storm.
Cruz initially doubts her own ability to race professionally, partly because she was diverted from her childhood dream. McQueen eventually recognizes her talent and helps her enter the competition. She becomes an important successor figure rather than simply a supporting trainer.
The film's climax changes the expected role of the veteran racer and the newcomer. Cruz takes on the racing opportunity, while McQueen adopts a mentor role connected to Doc Hudson's legacy. This makes her identity central to Cars 3's theme of passing knowledge between generations.