Cruz Ramriez Oh, hey, Mr. Sterling!
I'd like to introduce you to Lightning McQueen.
[to Cruz]
I hear you're the maestro. [chuckles]
Cruz [ignoring Lightning]
Mr. Sterling, did you say Lightning McQueen was here? Because... [snorts] I don't see him anywhere.
L Luigi
Uh... but he's right here. [gestures to McQueen] Do you not see him?
Cruz Nope. Still don't see him.
L Luigi
But he is right in front of you! It is Lighting McQueen!
Cruz He's obviously an imposter. [circles] He looks old, and broken down.
Cruz With flabby tires! [hits his front right tire]
Whoa! Oh, yeah. I see. I can use that energy for motivation, right? [playfully growls]
Cruz It's all about motivation, Mr. McQueen. You can use anything negative as fuel to push through to the positive!
I've been pretty positive since I was a rookie.
Cruz I am so excited that I get to train you. I grew up watching you on TV!
Cruz These young guys are great and all, but I like a challenge.
Haha. [half-mutters] Not that much older but —
Cruz In fact, I call you my "Senior Project". [Lightning looks confused]
L Luigi
Welcome racers, to Fireball Beach! Historical for today's great test of speed! Our finish line will be the abandoned pier in the distance!
[under his breath]
All right...quicker than quick... [closes eyes] ...faster than fast. I... am... speed...
Cruz That is great self-motivation! Did you come up with that?
L Luigi
On your mark, get set... GO!
[Lightning zooms forward and finishes at the pier]
Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! There you go! Felt good! [drives back to Cruz] Hey, what was my speed?
Cruz I don't know. I can only track you on the treadmill.
Cruz Oh. What about Hamilton?
H Hamilton
Hamilton here.
Cruz My electronic personal assistant. Y'know, like on your phone. [chuckles; pause] You do have a phone, don't you?
Race cars don't have phones, Cruz.
Cruz Hamilton, track Mr. McQueen’s speed and report it.
Cruz I’ll stay as close as I can. Your suit will transmit your speeds to Hamilton.
[Lightning discovers he and Cruz have snuck into a demolition derby]
Cruz, this isn't what I thought it was. C'mon! Follow me and we'll slip out!
R Roscoe
[The gate closes right before they can escape.]
Rule number 1: Gate closes, you race.
Cruz [gasps as someone spraypaints #20 on her side]
Wait, nonono! I'm not a racer!!
R Roscoe
Rule number 2: Last car standin' wins! And rule number 3: No cursing. It's Family Night. [leaves]
Cruz Wait! No! I'm just a trainer!
[They are dragged back to the track.]
Cruz [After the Crazy 8, Cruz watches the news with a trophy while Lightning is completely miffed. It seems all hope is lost]
So... trophy's kinda nice. Don't you think? [all she gets is Lightning's glare] I - I mean, I know like, you've got a billion of them, so y - you would know. [Lightning still doesn't respond] I still can't believe I won. Heheh. It's pretty shiny. I have never seen one up close. Looks like they spent a lot of money on it, I - I mean, I think it's real metal —
Stop. Just stop, okay, Cruz? You don't even know. You don't even have one clue!
Cruz Hey! I was just trying to —
Do you know what happens if I lose this race? [Cruz doesn't answer] Every mile of this trip was to get me faster than Jackson Storm. Faster! I start off getting nowhere for a week, on a simulator [Luigi and Guido open a curtain in concern, watching the outburst, and Mack shows concern too], I lose a whole day with you on Fireball Beach, and then, I waste tonight in the crosshairs of MISS FRITTER! I'm stuck in the same speed I was a month ago! I can't get any faster because I'm too busy TAKING CARE OF MY TRAINER! [Cruz is feeling silent and hurt] This is my last chance, Cruz. Last! Final! Finito! If I lose, I never get to do this again! If you were a racer, you'd know what I'm talking about! But you're not! So you don't! [he slams his tire at the wall, causing Cruz's trophy to break onto the floor; Cruz is shocked, and then turns to anger of her own]
Cruz Mack! Pull over!
Cruz NOW! [she pushes the button to open Mack's trailer]
M Mack
Ah! OK, OK! [starts pulling over from the road] Pulling over! Pulling over!
Cruz [Mack stops as Cruz drives out of his trailer while Lightning watches]
Ask me if I dreamed of being a trainer, Mr. McQueen, go ahead! Ask me if I got up, in the dark, to run laps before school every day! Ask me if I saved every penny to buy a ticket to the races when they came to town. Ask me if I did that so that I could be a trainer someday. Ask me.
Cruz No! I've wanted to become a racer forever! Because of you! [Lightning is shocked; Cruz is now heartbroken] I used to watch you on TV — flying through the air. You seemed so ... fearless. "Dream small, Cruz." That's what my family used to say. "Dream small, or not at all." They were just trying to protect me. But I was the fastest kid in town, and I was going to prove them wrong.
Cruz When I got to my first race, I figured it out.
Cruz That I didn't belong. The other racers looked nothing like me. You know... they... they were bigger, and stronger, and so... confident. And when they started their engines, that was it. I knew I'd never be a racer. I just left. It was my one shot, and I didn't take it. [Lightning becomes remorseful; as she decides to leave] Yeah, so, uh... I - I'm gonna head back to the training center. I think we both know it's for the best. [starts to drive away, but turns around again] But, can I ask you something? What was it like for you, when you showed up to your first race? How did you know you could do it?
I don't know, I... I just never thought I couldn't.
Cruz I wish I knew what that felt like. Good luck, Mr. McQueen. [turns to leave]
(No!)
Cruz! Cruz, wait!
[Cruz ignores Lightning and he sighs]
Lesson 1: you're old. Accept it.
Cruz I told him that.
He's probably losin' his hearing.
Cruz [shouting]
He said you're old and losing!
You'll never be as fast as Storm. But you can be smarter than him.
They said you were in a...demolition derby.
Yeah! It was terrible! And I was —
Sure? 'Cause there's not a scratch on ya. [Lightning looks around to see absolutely no damage] Funny what a racer can do when he's not overthinking things.
[after Mater tells Lightning of Doc's old coach Smokey, Mack catches up to Cruz and comes in front of her; Lightning opens the trailer]
Hey, Cruz.
Cruz You won't talk me out of this, Mr. McQueen. I'm going back. I resign as your trainer.
Alright, I accept your resignation. Bye! [closes the trailer]
Cruz Oh, okay.
[opens his trailer again]
But... since you cleared your calendar, why don't you come with us? I'm looking for someone named Smokey, hoping he can help me. Maybe he can help you, too.
Cruz Nah.
Come on. [pulls out Cruz's broken Crazy 8 trophy, now put together with duct tape] I fixed it.
Cruz No. Thanks anyway, but I'm done.
Okay. But maybe this will change your mind?! Hit it! [Luigi and Guido put on upbeat techno music on the stereo] First, I'm gonna loosen up these ancient joints.
Cruz No, please don't!
[singing]
I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry that I yelled! It wasn't your fault that I almost got killed!
Cruz Stop!
But now, you're leaving, and you won't get on the ramp!
Cruz All right, I'll go!
You won't get on the ramp!
Cruz [agitated]
All right, I'll go! Just stop!
