Baseball Meets Bristol: Braves-Reds Game Aims for Record Crowd

Major League Baseball is projecting the largest single-game attendance of the entire season for the Aug. 2 MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway, but the league is still grappling with the complexities of playing in one of the world’s largest sports venues. 

Now 100 days out from the Braves-Reds clash at the Tennessee motorsports facility, the showcase is a continuation of MLB’s run of domestic special-event games in recent years that has included sites such as Alabama’s Rickwood Field, the Field of Dreams complex in Iowa, and Fort Bragg in North Carolina. 

The Bristol game, however, is quite different from its predecessors in that its roughly 165,000-person capacity not only surpasses nearly all other racetracks, but also stands as the world’s eighth-biggest sports venue. Its oval shape and massive infield are still big enough to fit a regulation MLB field, but the league is still working through exactly how many seats to sell to ensure good views of the action. A specific count has not been finalized, but it will surpass the 56,000-seat capacity of Dodger Stadium, MLB’s largest ballpark.  

The sprawling speedway, also known as The Last Great Colosseum, is also a highly active racing facility, with events across various circuits scheduled throughout the spring and summer. MLB’s preparation for the game will include a temporary removal of some infield structures.

“There are some luxuries you get from being in such a big venue like Bristol. But there are still a number of things to balance, including fan experience and having a backdrop that immediately makes it clear it’s a racetrack,” said MLB SVP of global events Jeremiah Yolkut. 

This week’s run of promotions for the game has included the announcement of a pregame concert by country music star Tim McGraw, while top NASCAR driver Chase Elliott made the media rounds in New York on Thursday, meeting with a variety of television networks and print journalists. 

“This is truly going to be unique,” said Elliott, who grew up a Braves fan. Elliott, however, will not be attending, as NASCAR is racing in Iowa that weekend.

A Merging of Cultures

The MLB Speedway Classic also differs greatly from other special-event games, as both the league and track owner, Speedway Motorsports, are leaning hard into the camping and extensive tailgating activity endemic to racing fandom. Camping passes on the Bristol property will be sold in addition to game tickets. 

“This event tells a great story, being able to bring the culture of one sport into another,” said Bristol Motor Speedway president Jerry Caldwell.