Which character wins the Florida 500 at the end of Pixar's Cars 3?

Cruz Ramirez wins the Florida 500 at the end of Pixar's Cars 3.

Cruz begins Cars 3 as Lightning McQueen's high-tech trainer at the Rust-eze Racing Center. She is a gifted yellow race car who initially lacks confidence in her own ability. After training with Lightning and reconnecting with her childhood dream of becoming a racer, Cruz takes his place in the decisive Florida 500.

Lightning helps Cruz challenge Jackson Storm, the dominant next-generation racer, and Cruz ultimately passes Storm to win the race. Lightning's role in the event is still crucial: he changes his racing number to 51 and becomes Cruz's mentor and teammate. This ending is sometimes misremembered as a final victory for Lightning, but Cruz is the official winner. The result completes the film's larger theme about mentorship, succession, and making room for a new generation of competitors.