A LEGENDARY sports venue has looked unrecognizable as it’s set to host its first-ever MLB game next month.
Construction is currently underway on the most unusual special-event game in the history of Major League Baseball.
Tennessee’s iconic Bristol Motor Speedway has looked unrecognizable for a special event taking place next month[/caption]
A rendering of the MLB Speedway Classic for the baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves at the racing venue on August 2[/caption]
The Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, long tied to NASCAR’s past days, is in the middle of a transformation as it undergoes construction.
The initiative is to turn a motorsports venue into a baseball field for the MLB Speedway Classic on Saturday, August 2, as the Atlanta Braves will take on the hosting team Cincinnati Reds.
But turning the imaginable into a reality has to start with the work, which includes a temporary removal of a few infield structures.
There also has to be an installation of nearly 18,000 tons of gravel to level off the infield and 340 tons of clay to be the base for the synthetic playing surface.
Front Office reported that the surface will be similar to the artificial field at the Toronto Blue Jays’ Rogers Centre.
Lighting will also be put in place to help baseball’s visibility for the fans.
Other changes include fencing, foul poles, padding, and temporary facilities for weight rooms, batting cages, and training spaces.
The game is looking to replicate past MLB events like the Field of Dreams in Iowa.
“This is kind of like Christmas for us,” said Bristol Motor Speedway president Jerry Caldwell.
“We’ve been preparing for a few years now for a Christmas meal, and we’ve now at least gotten the food together, and are starting to prepare.
“Our engineers are pleased with the progress to date, and we’ll be continuing to move that along over the next few weeks.”
The game will begin at 7:00 pm ET and will be nationally broadcast on Fox.
The contest is set to be the largest single-game attendance of the season,
However, not every seat will be used in the 165,000-capacity venue.
MLB said the final crowd size “will be historic,” but will be balanced due to the oval layout of the track.
Construction taking place for the multi-million dollar effort last week[/caption]
Still, the attendance count can challenge the MLB-record 115,300 fans who appeared at a 2008 exhibition game between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers at Memorial Coliseum.
The league has also booked on-site concerts by Tim McGraw, Pitbull, Jake Owen, Timothy Wayne, among others, as well as a fan festival.
But once the game finishes, all the added structures will be destroyed.
Bristol Motor Speedway will need to return to its usual state for NASCAR’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race on September 13.
The mascots of the Braves and Reds pose for a photo at the track[/caption]
