Latest news with #TheLastGreatColosseum
Toronto Star
04-08-2025
- Automotive
- Toronto Star
Race on for Bristol Motor Speedway to prepare for NASCAR after hosting the MLB Speedway Classic
BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — The instant the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Braves cleared the baseball diamond inside the infield at Bristol Motor Speedway, a new clock started. 'The Last Great Colosseum' has to switch from hosting the MLB Speedway Classic and be ready for NASCAR's return to the historic racetrack hosting a playoff chase race Sept. 13.
Winnipeg Free Press
04-08-2025
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
Race on for Bristol Motor Speedway to prepare for NASCAR after hosting the MLB Speedway Classic
BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — The instant the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Braves cleared the baseball diamond inside the infield at Bristol Motor Speedway, a new clock started. 'The Last Great Colosseum' has to switch from hosting the MLB Speedway Classic and be ready for NASCAR's return to the historic racetrack hosting a playoff chase race Sept. 13. 'As soon as the last pitch is thrown, the last hit's hit, teams do their thing, postgame's taken care of, pads will start coming off the wall, and they'll work through the night to basically start disassembling so we can reassemble for the NASCAR race,' said Steve Swift, Speedway Motorsports' senior vice president of operations. Major League Baseball used BaAM to create everything from clubhouses for the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds complete with showers, strength and conditioning rooms, coach and trainers' offices and batting cages. Grandstands down both base lines with broadcast booths. Pit walls taken down to keep the Reds and Braves from crashing into them have to be rebuilt. Swift said pouring concrete walls does take time and then more time to cure properly. Additives can help concrete cure faster, but that's just one of the reconstruction issues causing obstacles. Swift said Bristol has had great partners planning for all the details of making this happen. Now it's time for Bristol Motor Speedway to go from hosting the first MLB regular-season game in the state of Tennessee and setting a record with a paid attendance of 91,032 back to its racing roots. 'It is difficult, but it's things that we like,' Swift said. 'It gives us a challenge and we like challenges.' The transformation to a baseball diamond in the infield required 17,500 tons of gravel to level the infield, then 340 tons of Pennsylvania clay for the playing surface. Braves first baseman Matt Olson said Saturday that he couldn't believe Bristol was transformed all for one game. Well, everything that can be recycled will be used somewhere after the baseball diamond is removed. Some of the gravel will be used in Bristol Motor Speedway's parking lots. Swift said they have found groups to help use some of the materials to help people still recovering from the damages left by Hurricane Helene. That includes 2x4s and plywood used for the grandstands. 'A lot of stuff is going to go to good use as far as the rebuild portion,' Swift said. 'We just need to get it out of the way so we can put back asphalt and concrete.' This new renovation schedule has a couple of days built in for protection. The target date for being finished is Sept. 7. 'There may still be some paint drying whenever they roll in with the Goodyear haulers, but we'll definitely shoot for that (Sept. 7) day,' Swift said. 'And at the latest, we're looking at Tuesday.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Bristol hosted a college football game in 2016 that drew 156,990. Now the NHL might be in Bristol's future after Sportico reported Friday that league officials would be checking out how the racetrack handled Major League Baseball. When asked about possibly hosting an outdoor hockey game, Swift only said a hockey rink would be similar to a football field and that Speedway Motorsports has big dreams for what is possible at places like Bristol. 'We've shown with football and now baseball being here, that things can take place and we can do the the things that nobody would even think about,' Swift said. ___ AP auto racing:
Newsweek
02-08-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
How to Watch MLB Speedway Classic: Live Stream Braves vs Reds, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Bristol Motor Speedway plays host to the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday as the two face off on a field built in the middle of the iconic racetrack. A detail of a sign prior to the MLB Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 02, 2025 in Bristol, Tennessee. A detail of a sign prior to the MLB Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 02, 2025 in Bristol, to Watch 2025 MLB Speedway Classic: Braves vs Reds Date: Saturday, August 2, 2025 Time: 7:15 PM ET Channel: FOX, FOX Deportes Stream: Fubo (WATCH NOW) This is a unique event in baseball that we have not seen before as two ball clubs trying to get back into the postseason hunt are set to do battle at The Last Great Colosseum in Bristol, Tennessee. We have seen NHL and NFL games on baseball fields, but never an MLB game on a racetrack, making this a sight to see. If successful, there is no reason why Major League Baseball would not continue this tradition for years to come. The Braves are looking to get their season back on track and need to start stacking wins if they want any chance of competing come October. They have lost three out of their last four, but have the talent to go on a tear down the stretch. Cincinnati, on the other hand, is five games over .500, but still trails in the NL Central by eight games, as both the Brewers and Cubs have been two of the surprise teams in the league this season. This is a great MLB matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action. Live stream MLB Speedway Classic on FOX with Fubo: Start your subscription now! A general view of the field inside the race track prior to the MLB Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 02, 2025 in Bristol, Tennessee. A general view of the field inside the race track prior to the MLB Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 02, 2025 in Bristol, restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
New York Times
13-04-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
How to watch and odds for the Food City 500, NASCAR's Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway
The racing world converges on The Last Great Colosseum this weekend, with Denny Hamlin aiming for another Bristol spring race win and coming off his win at Darlington. Sunday's concrete classic should be a good one, after last year's installment had a track-record 54 lead changes. Though no one knows if the tire wear that led to last year's spring chaos will show up again this time around. Advertisement Practice and qualifying action goes down Saturday afternoon before Sunday's main event. Vegas gives Hamlin the second-best odds for Sunday (+425 on BetMGM), trailing only Kyle Larson (+400). The 44-year-old mainstay has enjoyed a torrid start to 2025 with four top-five starts, winning at Darlington last time out and at Martinsville on March 30. He's second in the Cup Series standings with 266 points, behind William Byron with 315. Larson, meanwhile, sits in sixth with four top-fives of his own. He triumphed at Homestead-Miami last month, and finished fifth at last year's Food City 500. Points leader William Byron has Sunday's sixth-best odds at +1200. Christopher Bell, the only driver with five top-fives this season, is third on the board at +650. Elsewhere, Joey Logano is ninth in points despite leading the third-most laps thus far. A big question for this race is whether extreme tire wear will enter the equation like at last year's spring race — something that mysteriously wasn't duplicated at the fall race at Bristol. If so, Hamlin, in particular, is excellent at managing his tires. For more in-depth NASCAR coverage in anticipation of the race, check out The Athletic's Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi: Gluck quotes William Byron: 'People think I'm not aggressive, but I'm plenty aggressive. I think I just show it in probably a smoother way than maybe what people see. I don't make a lot of errors, so maybe it doesn't look aggressive, but I feel like I'm pretty aggressive. On restarts, I'm always up toward the top of the metrics.' Bianchi on the legal battle between Legacy Motor Club and Rick Ware Racing: 'If Legacy's lawsuit is successful and a judge finds its contract with RWR binding, RWR would effectively be without a charter for the 2026 NASCAR season. And while RWR could still enter Cup races, it would have to do so as an 'open' team, meaning it would not be assured a starting spot in any of the 36 points races and lose out on higher revenue streams.' Streaming and betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Kyle Larson: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
