NASCAR’s Bristol Motor Speedway to host Major League Baseball game in 2025

Bristol Motor Speedway, known as the “Last Great Coliseum,” will hold an MLB event in 2025.

In 2025, NASCAR’s Bristol Motor Speedway will play host to a Major League Baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds, marking the latest move in the stock car series’ relevance.

Though NASCAR has always held a place of importance in the American sporting mind, the stock car sanctioning body floundered in its efforts to attract fans and maintain its relevance in the 2010s. Now, with one of its beloved tracks hosting the MLB — America’s pastime — NASCAR may be on the cusp of an unprecedented jump in profile.

Meet the MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol

Bristol Motor Speedway, known as the “Last Great Coliseum,” will host a Major League Baseball event between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds on August 2, 2025.

The half-mile race track is small enough that a baseball diamond can be built in the infield. Fans will be able to purchase tickets in the Speedway’s standard grandstands, or they can purchase tickets for purpose-built grandstands closer to the diamond.

Not only will this event be the first MLB game hosted in a race track, but it will also be the first National League/American League game ever played in Tennessee.

“Major League Baseball is excited to deliver a special game at Bristol Motor Speedway, a unique setting that sports fans will remember forever,” Rob Manfred, the Commissioner of Baseball, said in a statement.

“The Reds and the Braves form an ideal matchup because of their dynamic talent and the proximity of their markets.

“We look forward to celebrating our game with a wide array of fans, both on and off the field throughout the weekend, and highlighting the rich traditions of sports, music and community in Tennessee and across the region.”

The event will be considered a “home” game for the Cincinnati Reds.

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This isn’t the first time a different sport will host an event within Bristol’s confines.

In 2016, an NCAA football game between the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech was a massive blow-out success, setting a NCAA record of 156,990 fans in attendance at a single game.

However, part of what made that event such a success was Bristol Motor Speedway’s location on the Tennessee/Virginia state line, making it something a “neutral” ground for fans of both teams, as well as a quick drive.

Whether or not the MLB game will be as big of a success remains to be seen — but it does highlight the fact that NASCAR is continuing to grow in relevance within the greater American sporting landscape.

The NASCAR Cup Series was once hugely popular, to the extent that it was able to host races in Japan. But in the mid-2010s, the series tumbled in popularity due to a variety of factors: driver dominance, stock cars that were too “stock,” silly rules, and more.

NASCAR’s popularity remained stagnant for several years, but it has slowly started to grow again thanks to new cars, new talent, and an overall growing interest in motorsport generally.

While there are still many skeptics about the MLB/NASCAR crossover, the fact that this kind of multi-discipline event can even exist is a great sign that American stock car racing is growing and reestablishing its place in the sporting world.

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