Before the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds take the field on Saturday, August 2, 2025, the home plate umpire will have a tough decision to make… “should I yell ‘play ball!’ or ‘It’s time to start your engines’?”
This morning, Major League Baseball announced that they would play a game at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. This will be the first-ever regular season game in National League history played in the state and will count as a Cincinnati Reds home game.
According to MLB.com, the ball diamond will be built across the track and infield of the speedway. When configured for auto racing, the stadium has a capacity of approximately 146,000, which would shatter MLB attendance records.
As you’d expect (and can see above), the logos for the 2025 MLB Speedway Classic are more visually geared toward auto racing than baseball. The event name is presented on a diagonal slant, indicating fast movement. The host city name is placed within a checkered flag-style element. Curiously, there are two versions of the logo presented without indication as to which is the “primary” logo—one features “Bright Blue” prominently while the other replaces all traces of it with “Bright Red.”
There is no word on whether the Braves or the Reds will wear special uniforms for the game, but with ads on MLB jerseys these days already making each game feel like NASCAR, I’m not sure anything new will be necessary to fit the theme.
Bristol Motor Speedway, often referred to as “The Last Great Colosseum,” is one of the most iconic and beloved tracks in NASCAR. The half-mile oval is known for its steep banking and tight turns. Opened in 1961, Bristol has become a staple in the NASCAR schedule, hosting both day and night races that draw massive crowds. The track’s unique layout and short length lead to high-speed, close-quarters racing, resulting in frequent contact between cars and memorable moments.
