Braves 2025 season takes left turn to last game location fans would expect

The Atlanta Braves took the green flag for the 2024 Major League Baseball season, firing on all cylinders. They went into May with a 19-9 record but were still second to the Philadelphia Phillies. But then, it felt like this team was dealing with one flat tire after another.

Starting pitcher Spencer Strider needed season-ending surgery early. Then, reigning MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. tore another ACL, which shelved him for 2024. Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, and Reynaldo López are all also currently on the injured list.

But after a couple of pit stops and some roster reassessing, the Braves are back on track and hunting down those Phillies. It's not the team they expected to have at this point of the season, but they're still on pace for a playoff spot.

So, why all these racing puns and analogies when talking about the Braves playing baseball? I'm glad you asked. MLB continues to look for creative ways to grow the sport's popularity in different markets. Their latest attempt has the Braves playing a game in one of the last locations where you'd expect a baseball game to occur.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

Braves, Reds set to play at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2025 season

According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic (Subscription Required), MLB is working on a plan to have the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds play a regular-season game at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and Marcus Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports, are scheduled to announce the plans for the game on Friday at the race track.

Bristol Motor Speedway is a historic venue in NASCAR history. Known as "The Last Great Colosseum," its grandstands can hold up to 150,000 fans. It's also no stranger to hosting events other than racing. In 2016, the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech played a football game in the facility's infield, drawing more than 156,000 fans.

NASCAR and MLB already overlap. The Fenway Sports Group, the majority shareholders of the Boston Red Sox, also owns a share of RFK Racing, which currently fields two full-time charters in the NASCAR Cup Series. Earlier this week, the rumor mill swirled about another possible overlap in ownership groups.

The Braves and Reds are slated to play their games in the first week of May and again in August. It is unclear who will be the home team and which series will have the game at Bristol. We plan to find out the specifics at the press conference on Friday.