GAINBRIDGE℠, SPIRE MOTORSPORTS AND THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN TEAM UP WITH MICHAEL MCDOWELL FOR THE 2026 NASCAR SEASON FINALE AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY

Spire Motorsports Reveals Special Livery for No. 71 The ANNIKA Chevrolet ZL1

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 16, 2026) – As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the 2026 season finale, World Golf Hall-of-Famer Annika Sörenstam and her namesake LPGA Tour event, The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican (The ANNIKA), is teaming up with Gainbridge℠, driver Michael McDowell and Spire Motorsports to unveil a unique livery for McDowell’s No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the Nov. 8 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race.

The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, Tampa Bay’s signature LPGA Tour event, takes place the following week, Nov. 9-15 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla.

McDowell, a two-time Cup Series race winner, will race the No. 71 The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge Chevrolet ZL1 when NASCAR’S premier division returns to the popular mile-and-a-half South Florida oval for Championship Weekend for the first time since 2019.

Meanwhile, the decklid of McDowell’s No. 71 Chevy will feature a dynamic look, including a roster showcasing many of the players on the LPGA Tour’s “Race to the CME Globe” rankings who are currently eligible to compete at the ANNIKA, a season-long points competition in which LPGA Members accumulate points in every Official LPGA Tournament to gain entry into the season-end CME Group Tour Championship. McDowell will also sport a The ANNIKA-themed driver suit featuring a golf-inspired caddie bib and golf pants on race day.

After the checkered flag waves and the 2026 NASCAR season officially comes to a close, the father-of-five will head to Florida’s Gulf Coast for The ANNIKA to share time with the LPGA Tour players and participate as a celebrity caddie in the Wednesday Pro-Am at Pelican Golf Club on Nov. 11.

“I’m definitely not the best golfer in the world so it’s easy for me to appreciate the talented players on the LPGA Tour,” said McDowell. “I’m really looking forward to visiting Pelican Golf Club to be part of the festivities and seeing the event in person. I know how important this tournament is to our partners at Group 1001 and Gainbridge, so this is a great opportunity for Spire Motorsports to play an important supporting role.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting Michael at The ANNIKA at Pelican Golf Club in November and watching the No. 71 ANNIKA Chevrolet hopefully take the checkered flag at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race,” said Sörenstam. “Thank you to our incredible partners at Gainbridge and Group 1001 for this unique partnership - shining a spotlight and elevating women’s sports.”

The ANNIKA is sponsored by Gainbridge, a Group 1001 company and features a $3.25 million purse, one of the largest on the LPGA Tour, outside of the major championships. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the ANNIKA Foundation.

With eight races before the close of the 2026 Cup Series campaign, McDowell sits 20th in points while claiming three top-five and six top-10 finishes on the year.

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race from Homestead-Miami Speedway will be televised live on NBC Sunday, Nov. 8 beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The 36th and final race of the 2026 season will be broadcast live in the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel 90.

About The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican … 

The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican is the LPGA’s annual tournament in the Tampa Bay region and features the world’s best female golfers competing over four rounds for a share of the $3.25 million purse, one of the largest on the LPGA Tour. The tournament is contested at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla., a Donald Ross original design and a Beau Welling redesign. The sole namesake event on the LPGA Tour, Annika Sörenstam serves as tournament host with proceeds benefiting the ANNIKA Foundation. The championship is operated by Outlyr, a global sports, event management and lifestyle marketing agency. For more information on The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, visit www.TheAnnika.com , opens in a new tab.

About the LPGA … 

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is the world’s premier women’s professional golf organization. Created in 1950 by 13 pioneering female Founders, the LPGA, whose Members now represent nearly 40 countries, is the longest-standing professional women’s sports organization. Through the LPGA Tour, the Epson Tour, the LPGA Professionals, and a joint venture with the Ladies European Tour, the LPGA provides female professionals the opportunity to pursue their dreams in the game of golf at the highest level. In addition to its professional tours and teaching accreditation programs, the LPGA features a fully integrated Foundation, which provides best-in-class programming for female golfers through its junior golf programming, LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, and its LPGA Amateurs division, which offers its members playing and learning opportunities around the world. The LPGA aims to use its unique platform to inspire, transform and advance opportunities for girls and women, on and off the golf course. Follow the LPGA online at www.LPGA.com , opens in a new tab and download its mobile apps on Apple or Google Play. Join the social conversation on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram and YouTube.

About the LPGA Tour … 

The LPGA Tour is the world’s leading competitive destination for the best female professional golfers in the world. The Tour hosts 33 annual events across 13 countries for over 200 athletes, awarding total prize funds exceeding $132 million and reaching television audiences in more than 170 countries.

About Spire Motorsports …

Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing.

The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado its first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent victory came May 24, 2026, when Daniel Suárez won the NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

In 2026, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., organization also fields the No. 77 410 sprint car in Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing competition.