CINCINNATI — Major League Baseball is showing off the new, racetrack-themed jerseys the Cincinnati Reds will wear for the first-of-its-kind baseball game planned for Bristol Motor Speedway on August 2.
The Reds will play the Atlanta Braves inside Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee in the MLB Speedway Classic. Bristol is best known for being home to two NASCAR races per year, but it has hosted other sporting events as well.
Demolition and construction efforts began in June to transform the speedway into the stage for the first MLB game in the state of Tennessee.
To spice up the event, MLB has unveiled the new jerseys, which bring touches of the racing world into each team's classic looks. The jersey numbers are designed in the spirit of racecar numbers, featuring bolder outlines along with the shadowing and movement designs typically seen on racecar designs.
The Cincinnati Reds will also have a new cap featuring checkered racing flags across the visor.
Also new are the helmets, which are a first for the MLB: They're custom-designed and inspired directly by a NASCAR helmet design. Depicted on it are race-style player numbers, speed-inspired wordmarks and checkered flag emblems uniquely inspired by each team's identity.
For fans who won't be able to attend the Tennessee game, the uniforms and the setting of Bristol Motor Speedway itself will be playable in the game MLB The Show 25.
MLB has also announced that before the players even take the newly-created field at the speedway, fans will be able to enjoy a pregame concert headlined by Tim McGraw, Pitbull and Jake Owen.
Owen will also headline a full day of musical sets in the Speedway Classic Fan Zone, which will be a one-of-a-kind festival spanning more than 220,000 square feet. The fan zone will have interactive games, live music, food options, exhibits, special guests and and custom photo ops for fans of all ages. Also performing in the fan zone will be Timothy Wayne, Reyna Roberts and Adam Doleac.
Other activities at the Speedway Classic Fan Zone include:
- Live musical performances by country stars Jake Owen, Timothy Wayne, Reyna Roberts & Adam Doleac
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2001 MLB All-Star Game inspired show car
- Commissioner’s Trophy on display for fan photos
- 110-foot Ferris Wheel
- Food Truck Row featuring local Tennessee cuisine
- Pitching Tunnels and Batting Cages
- MLB Network live broadcast set
- Branded MLB stock cars for photo opportunities
- Legacy Walk, an exhibit highlighting great players from the Reds and Braves
- 20 business partners hosting brand activations
- Budweiser Clydesdales
- Corona beach-inspired lounge and beer garden
- Team Mascots
- ESPN’s SportsCenter: 50 States in 50 Days live broadcast set
All MLB Speedway Classic ticketholders will be able to access the fan zone. It opens at noon on gameday; venue gates into the speedway-turned-ballpark will open at 3 p.m. The pregame concert will begin roughly one hour before the first pitch, which is expected around 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.
