MLB Speedway Classic sees ‘Talladega Nights’ equipment, a home run car and more

It took an extra day, but the MLB Speedway Classic is off and running.

The game between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves began late Saturday night after a two-hour rain delay. But after getting to the bottom of the first inning, more weather hit and the game was postponed to Sunday afternoon.

The scenes on Saturday night were one-of-a-kind, with the massive Bristol Motor Speedway housing nearly 100,000 fans for the NASCAR track’s first-ever baseball game.

With the game finally underway, here’s a look at all the unique aspects to the Speedway Classic:

NASCAR-themed uniforms

Both the Reds and Braves had unique uniforms for the game in Bristol. That included special hats and batting helmets and different number fonts on their jerseys.

Here are the NASCAR-themed uniforms for Bristol:

Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images

‘Talladega Nights’ equipment

Some of players took the opportunity to lean into the NASCAR theme, even more than just the uniforms.

Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson wore a “Talladega Nights” chest protector and face mask, channeling his inner Ricky Bobby from the 2006 Will Ferrell film.

Braves shortstop Nick Allen followed the same theme with his cleats, where he wrote a few classic lines from the movie — calling himself “Nicky Bobby.”

Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Home run car

When the game resumed on Sunday, Braves right fielder Eli White quickly put his team back in front with a 3-run home run in the second inning.

With White’s blast out of the field and onto the race track, there was the debut of another new Speedway Classic feature — the home run car. A custom-designed Corvette motored around the half-mile track with a “Home run” flag as White rounded the bases:

Record-setting attendance

Over 85,000 fans bought tickets to the Speedway Classic, breaking the MLB record crowd.

The attendance was likely down with the game being pushed to Sunday, but exact numbers have not been released by MLB.