Braves and Reds break Major League Baseball attendance record at Tennessee racetrack
Brandyn Payton, left, and his wife Kelsey Payton, second from left, play a game of cards at their campsite at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday in Bristol, Tennessee. Photograph: George Walker IV/AP
Fans outside the speedway were entertained by a 110-foot Ferris wheel to go along with food trucks, live music, pitching tunnels and batting cages. Photograph: Daniel Shirey/A flyover is performed during the national anthem prior to the MLB Speedway Classic. Photograph:Tim McGraw performs prior Saturday's game at Bristol Motor Speedway. Photograph:A detail photo of the back of a fan's Speedway Classic jacket on Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Photograph: Andrew Ferguson/A fan takes a video on their phone during the first inning of Saturday's game. Photograph: Andrew Ferguson/The first American or National League game ever played in Tennessee will eclipse the previous paid attendance record of 84,587, set on 12 September 1954, when Cleveland Stadium hosted the New York Yankees. Photograph: Andrew Ferguson/Austin Cox of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the MLB Speedway Classic. Photograph: Andrew Ferguson/Catcher Tyler Stephenson of the Cincinnati Reds peeks out from the dugout during a rain delay. Photograph:MLB didn't try to sell every ticket inside the speedway that drew 156,990 for the Battle of Bristol college football game in 2016. The track with a racing capacity of 146,000 could host 90,000 or more even with sections blocked off. Photograph: Rob Tringali/A fan looks on during Saturday's game at Bristol Motor Speedway. Photograph: Andrew Ferguson/Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves stretches during the MLB Speedway Classic. Photograph:Fans talk in a concourse area during the MLB Speedway Classic. Photograph: Andrew Ferguson/The Speedway Classic between the Braves and Reds was suspended in the first inning because of rain. The plan is to resume the game on Sunday afternoon.
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