THE MLB is set to break its all-time attendance record as ticket sales for the upcoming Speedway Classic exceed 85,000.
The current record, set at Cleveland Stadium in 1954, stands at 84,587.
The Speedway Classic, held at Bristol Motor Speedway, is set to smash the MLB’s existing regular season attendance record.[/caption]
The record has stood for over 70 years since a 1954 game at Cleveland Stadium (not pictured)[/caption]
The Classic will involve a match between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds.
It is scheduled to be held on August 2nd, 2025.
It will be the first regular-season MLB game played in Tennessee.
The Braves have had a tough season up to now with their 45-60 losing record.
The Reds have had a marginally better run so far with a winning 56-51 record, but still sit third in their division behind the Brewers and the Cubs.
Their clash will be held at the historic racing venue, the Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.
The stadium is one of NASCAR‘s most recognisable venues, earning the nickname ‘The Last Great Colosseum.’
At its maximum, the speedway has a capacity of 146,000 spectators.
The venue will be some way from utilising its full capacity for the game, but it has already done enough to break the existing regular-season record that has stood for over 70 years.
That record was set in a face-off between the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) and the New York Yankees.
The state of Tennessee has never before hosted a regular-season MLB game[/caption]
But even that figure pales in comparison to the crowd that the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox drew in for a preseason game in 2008.
Their crowd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum came in at around 115,000, blowing the competition out of the water.
It’s not just the game attracting audiences to the speedway.
The match will have a pregame concert featuring country singer Tim McGraw and global superstar Pitbull.
Alongside the stadium will also be a large interactive fan zone, featuring food, entertainment and its own live music.
The Speedway even plans to have a 110-foot Ferris wheel set up, but its position outside the walls means there will be no chance for someone to snag the best seats in the house at the top of the wheel for the game.
