The moment the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds left the infield at Bristol Motor Speedway, a new countdown began. With the conclusion of the MLB Speedway Classic, the race is now on to convert “The Last Great Colosseum” back into a short-track arena fit for the NASCAR Playoffs on September 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, senior vice president of operations at Speedway Motorsports.
Major League Baseball partnered with BaAM to deliver a complete big-league experience. That included temporary clubhouses equipped with showers, strength and conditioning rooms, coaches’ offices, batting cages, and grandstands stretching down both baselines. Pit walls were removed for safety during the game, but they now must be rebuilt in time for stock cars to hit the track again.
Swift explained that rebuilding those concrete walls takes time. “Pouring concrete walls does take time and then more time to cure properly,” he said. “Additives can help concrete cure faster, but that’s just one of the reconstruction issues causing obstacles.”
Returning Bristol Motor Speedway to its racing layout is no easy feat, especially after hosting the first-ever MLB regular-season game in Tennessee. The game set a new state attendance record, drawing 91,032 fans.
“It is difficult, but it’s things that we like,” said Swift. “It gives us a challenge and we like challenges.”
The baseball setup required 17,500 tons of gravel to level the infield, followed by 340 tons of Pennsylvania clay for the playing surface. Braves first baseman Matt Olson was stunned by the effort. “I couldn’t believe Bristol was transformed all for one game,” he said Saturday.
Now that the game is over, the priority is removal and repurposing. “A lot of stuff is going to go to good use as far as the rebuild portion,” said Swift. “We just need to get it out of the way so we can put back asphalt and concrete.”
Some of the gravel will be reused in the speedway’s parking lots, while 2x4s and plywood from the grandstands are being donated to aid recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene.
To stay on track, the rebuild schedule includes a few buffer days. The target completion date is September 7, though Swift acknowledged it may cut close.
“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,” he said. “And at the latest, we’re looking at Tuesday.”
Swift also confirmed that the NHL is now taking a close look at how the MLB event was executed, fueling speculation that Bristol could one day host an outdoor hockey game. When asked about the possibility, Swift offered a careful response.
“A hockey rink would be similar to a football field,” he said. “And 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 things that nobody would even think about.”
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