Baseball and NASCAR may seem like parallel American traditions, but history proves their paths have crossed in spectacular, unexpected ways. In recent years, MLB met NASCAR in incentive ways, most notably at the famed Eldora Dirt Derby, which first mixed dirt-track racing with distinctly motorsports flair during an extension of NASCAR’s Truck Series. Despite the name “Midsummer Classic,” the event was renamed after Major League Baseball raised concerns over trademark infringement. Still, the crossover spirit remained: tribal fan bases colliding, shared sponsorships, and motorsports-style branding imprinting itself onto baseball dynamics. These experiments laid the groundwork for a more prestigious convergence of sport, setting context for a far bolder crossover in 2025.

Now, Major League Baseball has taken that crossover full throttle by staging a regular-season game at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 2. The MLB Speedway Classic, pitting the Atlanta Braves against the Cincinnati Reds, will be played in the infield of NASCAR’s revered Last Great Colosseum, a venue seating up to 146,000 and capable of hosting over 85,000 fans while still maintaining sightline integrity. Pit walls were removed, the infield leveled with thousands of tons of gravel and clay, and synthetic turf imported, all to create a playable diamond that mirrored major league standards for both athletes and fans alike. But for seasoned racing fans, this isn’t the first time stock cars have swapped asphalt for baseball grass.

When Manhattan heard the roar of NASCAR engines

Long before MLB’s Speedway Classic showdown at Bristol, the roles were reversed nearly 70 years ago. NASCAR quietly ventured into the heart of New York City. On April 25, 1959, the Short Track Division, NASCAR’s then-parallel series to the main Grand National tour, held a 200-lap race on a quarter-mile paved oval built inside Manhattan’s storied Polo Grounds. In the facility where only weeks before the New York Giants had played their final baseball game, stock cars roared on asphalt. Motorsports archivists confirm that Jim Reed claimed the win that night, drawing an estimated crowd of 20,000, an impressive turnout for a quarter-mile stadium event amidst the city skyline. That singular night in New York remains one of NASCAR’s most improbable crossover chapters.

Jim Reed, a veteran driver and five-time short-track national champion, dominated the race from the green flag. In his 1957 Ford, a machine built for the purpose on the northern short-track circuit, he quickly lapped nearly the entire field, finishing first while teammate Jim Beauchamp came in second in another 1957 Ford owned by the same Peekskill garage proprietor. With an officially posted race time of 1:04:31, Reed’s methodical pace under stadium lights proved why he was among the most decorated drivers of his era. But that night wasn’t just a curiosity; it reflected NASCAR’s experimental approach to unconventional venues.

At the time, NASCAR was eager to expand beyond its Southern roots, testing the waters in northeastern markets. The league, under sanctioning promoters like Ed Otto, routinely organized races at Midget and Short Track venues in cities from Boston to Toronto. The Polo Grounds appearance was one such attempt, a pop-up race marketed as high-level stock-car excitement inside a legendary baseball stadium. It featured Grand National-class drivers such as Lee Petty, Speedy Thompson, and Johnny Beauchamp, giving it credibility despite the improvised setting. The 1959 Polo Grounds race may not have lasted, but it hinted at possibilities far beyond NASCAR’s usual tracks.

Inside a stadium built for homeruns and triple plays, drivers revved engines that had never before spun inside a baseball infield. The concrete oval, fashioned with hay-filled “walls” and makeshift safety barriers, created a claustrophobic, high-action environment. Officials estimated 20,000 spectators packed the stands, drawn by the novelty and star power of drivers like Reed and Thompson. While the Polo Grounds race stands as one of NASCAR’s most talked-about baseball stadium crossovers, it wasn’t the only one. Following the collapse of Asheville’s minor-league baseball club in the mid-1950s, local promoters transformed McCormick Field into a quarter-mile asphalt track inside the infield.

NASCAR held a Grand National Series race there on July 12, 1958. Drivers like Jim Paschal, Lee Petty, and Cotton Owens battled through tight, 0°-banked turns. But in one dramatic moment, Petty was sent crashing into the dugout during a heat race by Ownes, yet returned after repairs to finish a commendable fourth in the feature. Paschal ultimately won the 150-lap main event, averaging just 46mph on the confined oval. Therefore, just as Paschal and Reed’s cars turned laps inside baseball arenas nearly 70 years ago, now baseball lives briefly inside NASCAR’s temple, making it a full-circle moment in American sports crossover.

Drivers pick their dream All-NASCAR baseball lineup

NASCAR stars are buzzing about experiencing professional baseball at one of their sport’s most iconic venues. Under the bright lights of Bristol Motor Speedway, the MLB Speedway Classic will transform NASCAR’s famed short track into an electric baseball stage for the weekend. “I honestly think it looks cooler than when they did the football game there with Tennessee-Virginia Tech [in 2016],” said 2023 Cup champion Ryan Blaney. “I think that’s going to be a hit. I wish I could go. That place is unique.”

But the baseball conversation didn’t stop at the real-life game. Drivers began crafting their own fantasy NASCAR Baseball team, led by former Little League World Series athlete Austin Dillon. His lineup included Ty Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Michael McDowell, Ryan Blaney, Noah Gragson, Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, and Corey LaJoie. Blaney threw in Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, and Ryan Preece, with Preece pegged as the perfect catcher. “Preece would be a good catcher,” Blaney noted, while Kyle Larson had his own ideas, saying, “Zane looks athletic… Blaney is athletic… Austin Dillon would probably be the best [player].”

Not all drivers were eager to put themselves on the roster. “I just had to throw a first pitch and embarrassed myself incredibly,” admitted Zane Smith. “So definitely no me.” Others like Larson disagreed, seeing Smith’s quickness as perfect for shortstop. Meanwhile, Briscoe’s frequent ceremonial first pitches around the country had Gragson suggesting he could pitch for the team. Whether on the mound, behind the plate, or patrolling the infield, one this is clear: NASCAR’s best may have more baseball skills than they let on, and the MLB Speedway Classic is giving them a reason to dream about it.