Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s No. 8 back for MLB's Speedway Classic
NASCAR's iconic No. 8 will feature once again at the high banks as part of MLB's marquee event of the season.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will reunite with an updated version of his red-and-white color scheme in support of the MLB Speedway Classic, set for Aug. 2 between the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves at Bristol Motor Speedway. The iconic racetrack in Bristol, Tennessee, will be temporarily converted into a baseball diamond in the latest move to hold games in unique settings. MLB has previously played games in places like the Field of Dreams in Iowa; in Birmingham, Alabama, to celebrate Negro League baseball; and overseas in London.
And while it will be MLB's first foray into holding a game at a racetrack, Earnhardt, Jr. is no stranger to Bristol. During his NASCAR Cup Series career, Earnhardt had nine victories at the Speedway.
There's also a baseball connection to one of the most recognizable designs in motorsports. Earnhardt piloted the No. 8 red-and-white design – adorned with a Budweiser/MLB All-Star scheme – in July 2001 on his way to winning the Pepsi 400. That race also marked his return to Daytona International Speedway after the death of his father, Dale Earnhardt, at the track earlier that year.
The Aug. 2 game will be the first regular-season MLB game held in Tennessee, and could break baseball's attendance record, which currently stands at 115,000 from a 2008 preseason game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. The Bristol racetrack has a listed capacity of 146,000 and saw more than 159,000 people attend a Tennessee-Virginia Tech college football game in 2016.
Dale Jr., who retired from full-time competition in 2017, will also race in the No. 8 scheme at the zMAX CARS Tour event on August 16 at the Anderson Motor Speedway in South Carolina.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
recommended
Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Edward Keegan: NASCAR has embraced the Chicago backdrop, but will it return?
The NASCAR Chicago Street Race. If it sounds a bit edgy, that's certainly by design. And the race has had its challenges. First it was the smoky haze of Canadian wildfires. Then it was rain. And finally, it was the darkness of nightfall. And that was just the inaugural race in 2023. Oh, and the noise and the street closures that lasted for weeks before and after the race. And most folks who live in the immediate vicinity of the Grant Park racecourse were not NASCAR fans before the race and probably aren't now either. Like architecture, much of the appeal of motorsports is aesthetic. The cars are sleek, or at least as sleek as purpose-built vehicles molded to resemble Chevrolet Camaros, Ford Mustangs and Toyota Camrys can be. And they are as bright and colorful as each sponsor is willing. And the speed and the sound add to the spectacle. With each of these elements, the NASCAR Chicago Street Race is an exceptionally well-conceived and packaged design mirror of ourselves. Chicago's history with auto racing stretches back to the earliest automobile race held in the United States on Thanksgiving Day in 1895. Fun fact: The Jackson Park to Evanston course traversed Michigan Avenue and included two blocks that are part of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race course. Nearby Soldier Field hosted races from 1935 to 1970, including NASCAR in 1956 and 1957. More recently, the now-defunct Chicago Motor Speedway in Cicero fielded IndyCars and some of NASCAR's minor league series from 1999 to 2002, and both major series have raced at Joliet's Chicagoland Speedway, which is now owned by NASCAR. But what these races lacked was the Chicago backdrop to the racing — something NASCAR has completely embraced during the last three years. Because what's most important is how it looks on TV. Almost every sporting event held in the city, whether it's at Soldier Field, Wrigley Field, Rate Field or the United Center, will show Grant Park and the Loop from a helicopter-mounted camera sometime during the event. But holding NASCAR's race in the park allows them to spotlight the city in a very particular way. Chicago's image is no longer just Willis Tower and the building formerly known as John Hancock Center. Newer tall buildings, including Trump Tower and the St. Regis, are more dominant from NASCAR's Grant Park perch. The Michigan Avenue street wall, long the classic Chicago skyline scene, has been extended in recent years by new development south of Ida B. Wells Drive including Helmut Jahn's striking 1000M, Krueck + Sexton's folded glass-faced Spertus Institute and Rafael Viñoly's distinctive, if mediocre, NEMA. And there are the older buildings along Michigan Avenue as well: Adler & Sullivan's Auditorium Building, Solon Beman's Fine Arts Building, Burnham and Root's Railway Exchange Building, and John Moutoussamy's Johnson Publishing Co. building, to name just a few. NASCAR and the Chicago Street Race highlight all of these distinctive — and very Chicago — buildings in a way that will endure. The best-known street course in the world has been in use for almost a century: the Grand Prix of Monaco in Monte Carlo. That enclave of wealth on the Mediterranean certainly doesn't need the grand prix in much the same way that Chicago doesn't need the NASCAR Chicago Street Race. But it's interesting to consider them together. The backdrop in Monaco includes the Belle Epoque Casino, the Mediterranean harbor, small shop fronts for luxury good purveyors and concrete cliffs filled with the pied-à-terre of the uber-rich. The NASCAR Chicago Street Race's background is, let's say, different. But it's just as compelling. And while Formula 1's multimillion-dollar bespoke cars reflect Monaco's place in the world economy, NASCAR's 'stock' cars are probably the best expression of Chicago. A bit brash, a bit ordinary, a lot noisy and prone to wrecks. Monaco is so good at its build that traffic navigates the racecourse within hours of on-track activity each day of the race weekend. It's too early to expect that here, but the build-out of the track and its support structures has become shorter with each year, reflecting NASCAR's efficiency and learning from experience. Finally, there's the racing itself. I had my doubts about how NASCAR's full body cars would race on this layout. But even with dreadful weather both years, it's proved to be a very entertaining track. The wide straightaways along Columbus and DuSable Lake Shore drives promote good side-by-side action and passing. Although the two one-block-long stretches on Michigan Avenue are good for photography, they are far too narrow to be either challenging or conducive to racing. But while the portion of track between them, the semicircular stretch through Congress Plaza, doesn't promote much passing, it is a great place to see up close how difficult these cars are to drive. The change in elevation — up and then down — while navigating a broad left turn really gets these cars to the edge of control, and it's quite entertaining to watch them skate through this section. And unlike the open wheel cars of IndyCar and Formula 1, not every contact between cars is likely to slow the race with a full-course yellow flag. Stock cars can often take some bumping and continue on without major incident. And it's proved to be a safe track as well. It will not be surprising if NASCAR announces in the coming days that it won't be back in Chicago next year. The initial contract runs its course with next week's race, although there are options for two additional years if NASCAR and the city agree to continue. The sanctioning body has let several other nontraditional races lapse after just a few years, and they're reportedly in talks with San Diego about a street race for 2026. Presumably there would be a lot less grit involved, but probably a lot better weather in store. Edward Keegan writes, broadcasts and teaches on architectural subjects. Keegan's biweekly architecture column is supported by a grant from former Tribune critic Blair Kamin, as administered by the not-for-profit Journalism Funding Partners. The Tribune maintains editorial control over assignments and content.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Former star Alabama pitcher released by MLB team
After being designated for assignment by the organization a few days ago, former Alabama Crimson Tide pitcher Spencer Turnbull has been officially released by the Toronto Blue Jays, per the team's MLB transactions' page. Prior to his release, Turnbull had made only three appearances with the Blue Jays so far this season, one of which was a start. Over that sample size, which was 6.1 innings pitched, the right-hander owned a 1-1 record with a 7.11 ERA and a 4:4 K:BB ratio. The former Alabama right-hander also made five starts in the minor leagues this season with Toronto's organization where he owned a 7.13 ERA across 17.2 innings pitched. Following his release by Toronto, Turnbull will now reenter free agency where the veteran right-hander will look for a new team. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pirates host the Mets, try to extend home win streak
New York Mets (48-36, second in the NL East) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (34-50, fifth in the NL Central) Pittsburgh; Sunday, 1:35 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Mets: Frankie Montas (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, five strikeouts); Pirates: Mike Burrows (1-2, 4.45 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 30 strikeouts) Advertisement BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Mets -157, Pirates +132; over/under is 9 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Pirates will try to keep a three-game home win streak alive when they take on the New York Mets. Pittsburgh is 22-21 in home games and 34-50 overall. The Pirates have the sixth-ranked team ERA in the NL at 3.81. New York is 19-24 on the road and 48-36 overall. The Mets have the 10th-best team on-base percentage in the majors at .324. The teams meet Sunday for the sixth time this season. The Pirates lead the season series 3-2. TOP PERFORMERS: Oneil Cruz has 13 home runs, 43 walks and 31 RBIs while hitting .205 for the Pirates. Nick Gonzales is 16 for 42 with three doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs over the last 10 games. Advertisement Juan Soto leads the Mets with 20 home runs while slugging .508. Brandon Nimmo is 13 for 37 with two home runs and four RBIs over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Pirates: 5-5, .278 batting average, 4.30 ERA, outscored opponents by five runs Mets: 3-7, .240 batting average, 6.14 ERA, outscored by 24 runs INJURIES: Pirates: Ryan Borucki: 15-Day IL (back), Endy Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Colin Holderman: 15-Day IL (thumb), Enmanuel Valdez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Justin Lawrence: 60-Day IL (elbow), Tim Mayza: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Jared Jones: 60-Day IL (elbow), Johan Oviedo: 60-Day IL (elbow) Mets: Griffin Canning: 60-Day IL (achilles), Jesse Winker: 60-Day IL (side), Jose Siri: 60-Day IL (shin), Max Kranick: 15-Day IL (elbow), Tylor Megill: 15-Day IL (elbow), Kodai Senga: 15-Day IL (hamstring), Brooks Raley: 60-Day IL (elbow), Danny Young: 60-Day IL (elbow), A.J. Minter: 60-Day IL (lat), Sean Manaea: 60-Day IL (oblique), Nick Madrigal: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Drew Smith: 60-Day IL (elbow), Christian Scott: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. The Associated Press
