Bristol Motor Speedway Set to Host Record-Breaking MLB Spectacle
Tennessee is buzzing as the Bristol Motor Speedway prepares to make history by hosting its first Major League Baseball game this Saturday evening. The Atlanta Braves will face the Cincinnati Reds in what is anticipated to be the largest crowd ever for a regular-season MLB matchup.
The iconic half-mile oval has been transformed into a unique baseball diamond for the Speedway Classic. Jeremiah Yolkut,MLB’s Senior Vice President of Global Events,expressed his awe at the transformation,stating,”You can imagine the site on paper,but you can’t really get a sense of it until you’ve installed 3,500 seats in the middle of 87,000 places.”
Fans will experience a baseball field situated within the speedway’s banked turns. A temporary press gallery has been erected atop a column, and a massive “Colossus” screen will serve as a foul ball indicator along the third base line – any ball hit into it will be ruled a foul.
The event is expected to draw over 85,000 spectators, surpassing the previous attendance record of 84,587 set on September 12, 1954, at Cleveland Stadium for a game between the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees. Sean Casey,a former Reds star and current MLB Network analyst who played in the 2008 “All-Star Game” at the Los Angeles Coliseum before 115,300 fans,described the atmosphere that day as “unbelievable” and anticipates a similar “extraordinary atmosphere” at Bristol.
Beyond the diamond,the fan experience extends to a vibrant festival area outside the track. Attendees can enjoy a 33-meter Ferris wheel, diverse food trucks, batting cages, and appearances by team mascots. The pre-game festivities will include a concert headlined by country music superstar Tim McGraw and global artist Pitbull. adding to the spectacle, four U.S. Navy Super Hornets from Virginia Beach will perform a flyover before the first pitch. The ceremonial first pitches will be thrown by baseball legends Chipper Jones and Johnny Bench.
The historic matchup between the Braves and the Reds will be broadcast live at 7:00 p.m. on TSN2.
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