MLB set to incorporate NASCAR-themed elements throughout the Speedway Classic event: Reports

On Saturday, August 2, Major League Baseball (MLB) will visit Bristol Motor Speedway for the Speedway Classic, marking its first game in a NASCAR track and in Tennessee. The most awaited MLB Speedway Classic will witness a showdown between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds.

As a nod to NASCAR, MLB will incorporate NASCAR-themed elements throughout the game, including NASCAR-accented jerseys, helmets, and bats. The game aims to attract a more diverse audience to MLB and create a natural alliance with another major league sport.

Detailing the same, Jeremiah Yolkut, Senior Vice President of global events, MLB, said in a statement (via CNBC):

“It represents an opportunity for us to really focus in on having as many fans as possible at an event and to create a natural tie-in with another sport that is very much geared towards the same things that we’ve been driving towards the last few years — around speed, and being fast and bold.”

Well, the hype around the event has been skyrocketing lately. According to an official statement by Bristol Motor Speedway, the MLB Speedway Classic has sold over 85,000 tickets so far, breaking its previous record of 84,587 (1954). As such, Bristol Motor Speedway can hold 90,000 fans.

“Fans at home are also going to get some incredible visuals with the aerial shots of the stadium and the guys hitting home runs landing on a NASCAR track. It’s going to be pretty special,” Yolkut added.

The following day, on Sunday, August 3, the NASCAR Cup Series will host its 23rd race of the season at Iowa Speedway. Named Iowa Corn 350, the 350-lap event will be televised on the USA network (3:30 p.m. ET) with MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio offering radio updates.

17-year-old ARCA driver reportedly forms his own team ahead of NASCAR’s Truck Series event at Watkins Glen

ARCA driver Brent Crews has reportedly formed his own NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team, Brent Crews Motorsports, which will debut next Friday at Watkins Glen International. Crews will serve as the driver of his team’s No. 70 entry.

The driver currently competes part-time in the Truck Series and has three starts (with Tricon Garage) already to his name. His best performance of the 2025 season was an P8 finish at Lime Rock road course.

“I grew up going to dinner on race weekends with guys like Nick Tucker and Brian Keselowski listening to stories about building race cars and engines out of spare parts and barely getting to the track,” Crews said in a statement (via CNBC). “Even though everyone would tell them they were crazy, it always sounded like so much fun to me.”

The team will join forces with Pristine Auction for the upcoming event at Watkins Glen. They will operate out of the Nitro Motorsports Trans-Am shop in Mooresville, North Carolina.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar