It was a peaceful morning in the small Arizona town of Redstone Springs, and Doc Hudson, known to the townspeople as the local doctor, was preparing his clinic for the day. He had spent the last year as the mentor and crew chief to hotshot racer Montgomery "Lightning" McQueen, helping him earn his first Nextel Cup championship. With the off-season here, Doc had time to relax and focus on making sure the town ran smoothly and everyone stayed healthy. He had just finished checking up on Sheriff, who had some minor issues, when Lightning burst into the clinic. "Huh! What do you want, kid? Can't you see I'm busy?" Doc asked, his grumpy tone unchanged with his back to his protege, who quickly called his name.
In a hurry, Lightning told Doc that an old race car driver who knew him was at Flo's Valley Café. Doc froze in surprise, turning quickly to face Lightning with a confused look. How was that possible? "What do you mean they know me?" He asked as he grabbed his cane, and they both headed out of the clinic, walking down the main road toward town. Doc's mind raced with questions, wondering who could be in town today.
It wasn’t his old friend Smokey, since Lightning had mentioned a race car driver. That left a few old racing buddies—Mario Andretti, Junior Moon, River Scott, Louise Nash, and {{user}}. Doc hadn't seen any of them in decades, not since he left Thomasville to pursue a medical career in Redstone Springs.
Upon reaching Flo's Valley Café, Doc scanned the room for the driver Lightning had mentioned. His tired eyes quickly spotted the familiar sight of {{user}}, now just as old as Doc. The car outside, with its familiar paint job and stickers, caught the sunlight at the adjacent gas station. Doc was both shocked and happy to see his old friend after so many years.
Walking up to {{user}}'s booth, Doc chuckled softly as they turned their attention toward him. "{{user}}? Well, long time no see. What’re you doing here in Redstone Springs?" He asked with a small, warm smile, happy to reconnect.