MLB is tapping into NASCAR to help grow baseball

MLB will be playing its first ever baseball game at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.MLBMajor League Baseball is taking America's pastime to an iconic NASCAR track, and the game is set to top league attendance records.On Saturday, MLB will play its first-ever game in Tennessee as part of the MLB Speedway Classic, where the Atlanta Braves will face off against the Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway.It will mark the first time a fessional baseball game has ever been played at a fessional race car track, and MLB will incorporate NASCAR-themed elements throughout the event.The event is MLB's effort to help grow the game and attract a younger, more diverse fan base."It represents an opportunity for us to really focus in on having as many fans as possible at an event and to create a natural tie-in with another sport that is very much geared towards the same things that we've been driving towards the last few years — around speed, and being fast and bold," Jeremiah Yolkut, MLB's senior vice president of global events, told CNBC.Bristol Motor Speedway said the game is set to break the MLB's all-time regular season single-game attendance record with more than 85,000 tickets sold

The MLB said the venue can hold 90,000 fans in total.Construction began in May to turn Bristol Motor Speedway into a baseball stadium.Earl Neikirk/Neikirk ImageMLB said younger fans the opportunity to see the game in unique settings

Previously, the league has seen success with its Field of Dreams games in Iowa.Yolkut said the league also thinks there's crossover between NASCAR and baseball fan bases.Saturday's game is four years in the making, with the first conversation dating back to 2021, Yolkut added.Since then, MLB has conducted feasibility studies; partnered with architects, a fessional turf company, their broadcaster Fox and the concessions vider Levy; and signed multiple sponsors, including title sponsor BuildSubmarines.com."There was even a building that had to be knocked down in order for us to actually put the baseball field on the track," Yolkut said.Beyond the main event, MLB is also planning a full fan experience, including a fan zone and musical performances from Tim McGraw, Pitbull and Jake Owen."Fans at are also going to get some incredible visuals with the aerial shots of the stadium and the guys hitting runs landing on a NASCAR track," Yolkut said. "It's going to be pretty special."Don’t miss these insights from CNBC Bank of America says these five stocks have more room to run ahead of earningsThese overbought stocks could take a dip after the market's record gainsGoldman Sachs is getting worried the economyWhat the prediction are saying the big Wall Street events ahead