Major League Baseball is making history on Saturday, Aug. 2, set to shatter an attendance record in the first regular season game played in Tennessee, taking place at Bristol Motor Speedway between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds. The game has not started and is currently in a rain delay.
The famed racetrack has been converted to host baseball for the showcase, with over 85,000 fans expected on hand for the first-of-its-kind event. MLB’s previous attendance record was 84,587, a 1954 game in Cleveland featuring the New York Yankees.
‘We’re locked and loaded,” Reds pitcher Brent Suter said. ”I tell you who’s locked in is the wives. We’ve got all these kids who are gonna be in like pit crew outfits. And wives with NASCAR boots and stuff.
“It’s awesome,” Suter said. “Their buy-in is off the charts.”
The evening should feature stunning visuals from the racetrack that opened in 1961 and can seat nearly 150,000 for motorsports:
MLB Speedway Classic: Braves vs. Reds delayed
The start of the MLB Speedway Classic was delayed nearly two hours due to rain in the area. The tarp that covered the field was removed and the game was underway.
MLB Speedway Classic: Pregame flyover
MLB’s official X account provided a video of the pregame flyover from the roof of Bristol Motor Speedway.
MLB Speedway Classic: Reds, Braves starting lineups announced
An NASCAR pit crew helped introduce the starting lineups for both the Reds and Braves.
Braves vs. Reds jerseys: MLB Speedway Classic
Watch Bristol Motor Speedway add a baseball field
Bristol Motor Speedway provided a time-lapse video of the transformation.
MLB played in different states
The MLB has brought its product to the state of Tennessee for the first time in the league’s history. Tennessee joins the list of states that have recently hosted an MLB game.
Since 2016, five different states welcomed the MLB for the first time.
- North Carolina (2016)
- Nebraska (2019)
- Iowa (2021)
- Alabama (2022)
- Tennessee (2025)
MLB Speedway Classic trophy
Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Chipper Jones unveiled the trophy that will go to the winning team.
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