MLB Speedway Classic: Tim McGraw, Pitbull, NASCAR Pit Crews Get Things Going

Two of music’s biggest acts and two of baseball’s most iconic legends officially got the party started at the MLB Speedway Classic.

Country superstar Tim McGraw and Mr. 305 himself, Pitbull, kicked things off ahead of a record crowd for an MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway.

McGraw is no stranger to baseball, as the son of former MLB pitcher Tug McGraw.

Following the genre-melding opening act, players from both teams came out onto the temporarily built diamond in the middle of one of motorsports’ biggest venues – riding around the track in the bed of pickup trucks.

That also included NASCAR pit crews introducing the starting lineups.

To keep the pregame ceremony going, Braves great Chipper Jones threw the ceremonial first pitch to Reds great Johnny Bench ahead of the MLB Speedway Classic. They were joined by NASCAR greats Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch. 

These were just several memorable moments in the first MLB game ever held in Tennessee. MLB officials announced Monday that more than 85,000 tickets had been sold — topping the previous paid attendance of 84,587 set Sept. 12, 1954, when Cleveland Stadium hosted the New York Yankees.

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