So, it turns out that the famous tune “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” is getting a remix next season. Yes, for one day only, it’ll be more like “Take Me Out to the Racetrack.”
In a move that feels both brilliantly audacious and utterly bonkers, Friday the MLB officially announced—after the news had already leaked, of course—that the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves will clash at none other than Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 2, 2025.
Now, before you get misty-eyed imagining a “Field of Dreams” scenario, let’s stop you right there. This isn’t about cornfields and nostalgia. No, this is about a baseball diamond being plopped smack in the middle of a .533-mile short track that’s better known for its history of NASCAR bruisers, trading paint at over 100 mph under the banner of “America’s Night Race.”
But why Bristol, you ask? According to Jerry Caldwell, President and General Manager of Bristol Motor Speedway, “Bristol’s location makes it the perfect ‘meet in the middle’ destination for a showdown between these two beloved clubs.” And really, what better way to showcase “the World’s Fastest Half-Mile” than by throwing a couple of baseball teams into the mix? Speed and high performance, they say. I suppose they’re referring to the athletes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re secretly hoping for a line drive to ricochet off those famous high banks.
And for those of you who are more in tune with the roars of engines than the crack of a bat, here’s a little trivia: Darrell Waltrip leads the pack with 12 NASCAR Cup Series victories at Bristol, closely followed by legends like Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, and Kyle Busch. And let’s not forget Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s iconic “It’s Bristol, Baby!” after his 2004 sweep.
But come next August, that phrase might just be taking a back seat to something a bit more…sporting. For one day, Bristol’s battle cry will be “Play ball.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.