The Speedway Classic was supposed to be a summer showcase event for Major League Baseball. The game between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves at Bristol Motor Speedway represented the most unique venue for a baseball game in history with the largest crowd to ever attend a regular season game.
The visuals looked incredible. The scene was surreal. Fans were packed. And then the rain came.
MLB’s worst nightmare transpired as the Speedway Classic was marred by a torrential rainstorm. After doing everything they could to play the game in monsoon level conditions, MLB finally made the decision to postpone the game until Sunday afternoon. Even the Fox broadcast was unaware that the game had finally been called for the night.
But that was only part of the story.
Fans in attendance flooded social media with reports that the experience at the speedway was the MLB equivalent of a multi-car pile up. Empty concessions, endless lines, terrible seats, and many more complaints began to surface as the evening rolled on.
In fact, one post that has several thousand views called the Bristol game “the MLB version of Fyre fest.” Yikes.
MLB making the Braves and Reds play in this quagmire at Bristol Motor Speedway just to try to finish off the payday is a perfect metaphor of the Rob Manfred era
— Brian Webber (@bwwebber) August 3, 2025
Man Bristol was bad, @mlb should never try this again, worst experience I’ve ever had at a sporting event #SpeedwayClassic25 was awful from arrival to departure #Reds pic.twitter.com/AAQ6Z7LZUP
— Steven Offenbaker (@soffenbaker) August 3, 2025
Total shit show here, they are out of food and starting to be out of beer, no estimate for when the game will start. #SpeedwayClassic pic.twitter.com/eAVKpEZpDA
— Aaron (@acw673) August 3, 2025
Sorry @ItsBristolBaby. Y’all were not prepared for this event. Horrible experience inside raceway.
— Zeb L. Smathers (@ZebSmathers) August 2, 2025
There is not much MLB can do about rain. NASCAR knows that better than any other sports league on the planet with all of the rain delays that have plagued the sport in recent years. But it seems like from so many of these tweets and replies that the issues at the Speedway Classic went well beyond complications from Mother Nature.
MLB has hit a lot of right notes with fans in recent years. Special games at the Field of Dreams and other unique venues, positive rule changes to make for a better viewing experience, and new stars hitting the scene have led to ratings and attendance going up. But the Speedway Classic, at least for now, looks like it will live in infamy. The Reds and Braves will try again on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully it’s a better experience for the fans that decide to show up.
About Matt Yoder