MLB Speedway Classic

MLB Speedway Classic

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Atlanta Braves                         Cincinnati Reds
Date	August 2, 2025 (2025-08-02)
Venue	Bristol Motor Speedway
City	Bristol, Tennessee
Managers	Brian Snitker (Atlanta Braves) Terry Francona (Cincinnati Reds)
Umpires	HP: Will Little 1B: Ryan Additon 2B: Ryan Willis 3B: Lance Barksdale[a]
Attendance	85,000+ (expected)
Time of game	9:40 EDT
Ceremonial first pitch	Chipper Jones[b]
Television	Fox
TV announcers	Joe Davis (play-by-play) John Smoltz (analyst) Ken Rosenthal (reporter) Tom Verducci (reporter)

The MLB Speedway Classic is an upcoming Major League Baseball (MLB) specialty game to be played between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds on August 2, 2025. The game will be played in the infield of Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, the home of a 146,000-seat NASCAR racetrack. This will be the first regular-season MLB game played in the state of Tennessee.^[3][4]

An attendance of over 85,000 people is expected. The game could set a new all-time regular-season game attendance record, which only the 115,300 people for a preseason game between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on March 29, 2008 topped.^[5]

On August 6, 2024, reports surfaced that the Braves and Reds would play a game at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2025. Three days later, on August 9, MLB revealed the game would be happening, under the name, Speedway Classic '25.^[6][7]

The field dimensions for the MLB Speedway Classic will be 330 feet down each of the foul lines, 400 feet to center field, 375 feet to the right-field alley, and 384 feet to the left-field alley. The diamond is being built across the track and infield of the speedway, primarily situated between Turns 3 and 4 of the track (south west section of the speedway). Turns 1 and 2 will have a stage for the pregame concert.^[8]

In late June 2025, construction started for the conversion of Bristol Motor Speedway. On June 25, AstroTurf announced they were selected as surface provider for the game, thereby the game will be played on artificial turf instead of natural grass.^[9]

Like previous MLB Specialty Games, Bristol Motor Speedway will host a pregame concert. Bristol is a border city divided by the Tennessee and Virginia state lines, and is known as the "birthplace of country music." In celebration of those roots, Grammy Award-winning artist Tim McGraw will headline a special pregame concert leading into the MLB Speedway Classic. The concert will also include Grammy-winning artist Pitbull, and Jake Owen.^[10] The concert will start approximately one hour before the first pitch and Fox plans to feature portions of the performance during its pregame event coverage.^[11]

Along with the concert, there will also be a fan zone outside of the stadium that features a full day of live music including Owen, Timothy Wayne, Reyna Roberts, and Adam Doleac. There will also be interactive games, a 110-foot ferris wheel, batting cages, pitching tunnels, regional food, exhibits, and photo opportunities.^[12]

In early July, reports surfaced that the Braves jerseys were navy with gray pants, and featured an italicized font for the numbers on the back of the jerseys. There is also a sleeve patch that has the MLB Speedway Classic '25 logo on it.^[13] On July 21, MLB released the uniform concepts for both teams, with the Braves having a navy hat with red flames on the brim. The Reds will wear their white uniforms also with the italicized numbers on the front and back of their jerseys, and with their red hat with a black brim with a checkerboard pattern.^[14]

Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson revealed his catcher's gear for the game, which was influenced by Ricky Bobby from the 2006 movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby with a Wonder Bread design.^[15]

On July 31, Major League Baseball Umpire Crew I was assigned for the Speedway Classic. Johnson City, TN native Will Little will work behind the plate calling balls and strikes, while Ryan Additon will be the first base umpire, Ryan Willis overseeing second base, and crew chief Lance Barksdale at third base. Will Little grew up less than 20 miles away from Bristol Motor Speedway, and the Speedway Classic will be a homecoming for him.^[16]

The game will be the first NL/AL regular season game in the state of Tennessee, and the first MLB game played on a race track. The game is on the first Saturday of August, and is the finale of a three-game series with the first two games being played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.^[17]

The probable pitchers: Spencer Strider (ATL), and Chase Burns (CIN) are both Tennessee natives, and will start the game for their respective ball clubs.^[18]

• List of neutral site regular season Major League Baseball games played in the United States and Canada
• Battle at Bristol, a college football game held at the same venue.