Sophie Cunningham Gives Start Command at Homestead
The WNBA guard will sound the start for the NASCAR Cup Series championship race alongside country singer Cole Swindell.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Motorsports
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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham will give the "start your engines" command for the NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 8. She will share the duty with country singer Cole Swindell.
Why it matters
The appearance highlights the growing crossover between professional women's basketball and motorsports. It also gives NASCAR's championship weekend a high-profile athlete figure for national audiences.
Cunningham ranked seventh in the WNBA in three-point shooting at 41.9% and third in points per scoring attempt at 1.31 during her seventh professional season, the second with the Indiana Fever. Her role at Homestead is a ceremonial appearance and does not reflect performance metrics, and her contract status for next season has not been determined.
The players
Sophie Cunningham
A WNBA guard in her seventh professional season and second with the Indiana Fever, she has increasingly appeared at motorsports events.
Cole Swindell
A country singer who will share the start-your-engines duties at the Homestead championship race with Cunningham.
The details
Cunningham has built a growing presence around motorsports, reporting from pit road for USA Network at World Wide Technology Raceway in September and waving the checkered flag at the Formula One race in Austin, Texas last month. She also attended the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race in Atlanta in February as a brand ambassador for Arby's.
Timeline
February 2026: Attended the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Atlanta as an Arby's brand ambassador.
September 2026: Reported from pit road at World Wide Technology Raceway for USA Network.
October 2026: Waved the checkered flag at the F1 race in Austin, Texas.
Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026: Gives the start command at the NASCAR Cup Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Season Trajectory
Cunningham's Homestead appearance follows a pattern of athletes and entertainers taking ceremonial roles at NASCAR's championship weekend, a tradition the series uses to reach audiences beyond its core fanbase. The role extends that crossover from the WNBA into the closing event of the Cup Series season.
For NASCAR viewers, the ceremonial start will mark the opening of the championship race and the close of the Cup Series season. Fans following Cunningham's WNBA career may see the appearance as an extension of her growing involvement in motorsports events.
The takeaway
Athletes like Cunningham are increasingly visible at motorsports events, creating crossover audiences between professional sports leagues. Readers following either sport can track these appearances as indicators of broader cross-promotion.
What happens next
Cunningham is scheduled to give the start command at the NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 8.
Further reading
Explore more motorsports coverage for context on NASCAR's championship weekend and its celebrity appearances.
Live Poll
Would you attend a NASCAR race if a celebrity athlete were giving the start command?
