what happened to doc hudson in cars 3

According to the search results, it is explained in the world of "Cars" that Doc Hudson died before the events of "Cars 2". In "Cars 3," he appears in flashback sequences and is an important figure in the plot as Lightning McQueens mentor. Pixar utilized unused Paul Newman recordings in the movie for flashback scenes. Although there were plans to show how Doc died in an early draft of "Cars 3," the scene ended up on the cutting room floor. Therefore, the exact cause of Doc Hudson's death is not explicitly stated in the "Cars" franchise.