BRISTOL, Tenn. — The Braves and Reds — and their fans — will hope Sunday in Tennessee goes better than Saturday did.
The MLB Speedway Classic was spoiled by weather, turning it into a two-day affair, with its own set of logistical challenges. MLB gave the teams a rare Sunday off day as a contingency for this situation.
Bristol Motor Speedway announced Sunday several modifications for attending fans after Saturday’s game was suspended due to inclement weather.
The game was set to resume at 1 p.m., with the Reds leading 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning.
Fans’ tickets and parking vouchers for Saturday were honored for Sunday. There was a paid attendance exceeding 85,000 and Saturday was expected to break the MLB record, but it’s unclear how many fans will return Sunday. The early crowd was noticeably lighter two hours before Sunday’s first pitch.
The Speedway also announced outside food and non-alcoholic drinks were welcome in clear bags no bigger than 12” x 12” x 6”.
The venue had a food shortage on Saturday, running out of dining options. Fans continuously expressed frustration on social media that the food supply was either extremely limited or nonexistent at concessions stands.
“The Bristol game was the MLB version of Fyre fest,” one attendee posted to X (formerly Twitter). “Awful logistics, no food except except bunless hotdogs and cheeseless nachos, multiple shuttles to even get in the stadium & completely unprepared for rain.”
Some also expressed frustration over the limited shuttles to transport fans to the entrance from the farther parking lots. Overall, it was a recurring theme that the stadium wasn’t totally prepared for the record audience.
This was a marquee event for MLB, which itself did a nice job arranging the day and turning an iconic NASCAR venue into a makeshift MLB stadium. But the weather simply didn’t cooperate, and the logistics proved difficult.
The game was delayed for 2 hours, 17 minutes Saturday night, then resumed and saw only four outs recorded until entering another delay and eventual suspension. Even during the game, the muddy infield wasn’t suited for play.
Unfortunately for the Braves, “didn’t go as planned” has turned into a theme for their 2025 season. At 46-63, this event was probably the final highlight in a campaign that’s gone nowhere. The World Series hopefuls were doomed by under-performance and injury.
After completing the game Sunday, the Braves return home for an eight-game homestand against Milwaukee and Miami.
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