Speedway Classic Weather Delay: Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds postponed after rain at Bristol Motor Speedway

The MLB Speedway Classic between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves has been postponed due to weather. The matchup, which is the first ever MLB game played in the state of Tennessee, was set to take place at Bristol Motor Speedway.

However, heavy rainfall unfortunately forced the hand of league officials and MLB senior vice president of field operations Michael Hill announced it was postponed. Play will resume at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The first pitch was originally scheduled to be thrown at 7:15 p.m. ET. But the rain caused that to be pushed back more than two hours for a 9:40 p.m. ET start.

Unfortunately, shortly after the play resumed, so did the rain. Play was stopped again as puddles began to form in the infield and the tarp was rolled back out.

The league fought hard to make sure that the special event carried on, even attempting to pour more dirt onto the infield. But the rain showed no sign of letting up any time soon and the decision had to be made.

It’s certainly a disappointment for the MLB record of 85,000 fans who bought tickets to the game. They’ll now have to wait a lot longer than expected to take in the baseball match from one of the most iconic venues in racing.

Bristol Motor Speedway has also hosted Tennessee and Virginia Tech for a college football game in 2016. That game saw nearly 157,000 people in attendance. The current MLB attendance record is 115,300 people from a 2008 game between the Dodgers and Red Sox at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Prior to the game, NASCAR stars Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch teamed up with Braves Hall of Famer Chipper Jones and Reds Hall of Famer Johnny Bench to throw the ceremonial first pitch. It was a huge moment for fans of both sports to see some of the biggest names come together.

Both teams will wear special racing-inspired uniforms for the game. The Braves caps feature flames on them, while the Reds cap has checkered flags across the visor. That’s not all, though, as it was revealed that Braves catcher Tyler Stephenson plans to dress up as Ricky Bobby, the character portrayed by Will Ferrell in the movie “Talladega Nights.”

As disappointing as the result of Saturday are, players and fans alike will hope to keep good spirits heading into Sunday. Hopefully they can also avoid weather and finally get the first ever MLB Speedway Classic underway.