LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. — Kyle Larson versus Christopher Bell. It’s a tale that’s been told many times and in many ways.

But Larson’s World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series victory Monday night at Lawrenceburg Speedway may be the most enticing tale, yet. And controversial.

Or as Larson put it, “It was a heck of a race.”

Bell dominated the dash. He was three-tenths of a second quicker than Larson and ended the eight-lap race more than two seconds in front of him. Larson’s runner-up finish placed the two NASCAR stars on the front row for the 35-lap feature.

This chapter of the tail usually ends in Bell’s favor, though. During the Turkey Night Classic midget race last year, Bell beat Larson for the second consecutive year. And earlier this year, Bell denied Larson his first Chili Bowl Nationals win by passing him late in the race to claim his third Chili Bowl win in-a-row.

Larson also had to cope with defeat during the first night of the World of Outlaws Patriot Nationals race at The Dirt Track at Charlotte on Friday. After dominating the majority of the feature, a late race mistake allowed Giovanni Scelzi to pass Larson.

Bell and Larson were hungry for another win.

However, Shane Stewart looked to spoil the NASCAR party in the early stage of the race by charging to second on the first lap and keeping pace with Bell – making it an Oklahoma-native shootout at the front.

No one could touch Bell, though. Once the No. 39 Swindell SpeedLab car clicked off laps on the high side of the 12-degree banked track, he outpaced Stewart every lap. Larson was mired in third-place watching another potential victory drive away.

However, cautions came to Larson’s rescue. With 19 laps to go, Sheldon Haudenschild spun directly in front of Bell, bringing out the second caution of the night – the first being early in the race for Spencer Bayston breaking a rear end.

On the restart, Larson rode the cushion through turns one and two and carried enough momentum to throw a slide job underneath Stewart the next corner. Coming off turn four, the two made contact. Both kept control of their car, but it was to the benefit of Larson. He secured second-place, while Stewart eventually faded to fourth-place after an intense battle with Schatz for third.

From there, Larson seemed destined for another runner-up finish. There was no catching Bell.

Then came lap 27. Bell slid up into the cushion in turn two, throwing his 27 laps of domination out the window. In the second it took Bell to correct his car, the white No. 57 was there.

Larson torpedoed his car underneath Bell in turn three and cleared him through the center of the turn.

Bell charged back, getting a run to the outside of Larson down the frontstretch. This was it. This was the battle fans waited at the edge of their seat for.

Side by side going into turn one, both were committed to their line. Bell pressed to the cushion. Larson a lane below. The two were close enough to grab each other’s steering wheel. Then, those fans at the edge of their seat left them.

The hard racing between Larson and Bell resulted in the black No. 39 jumping the cushion and spinning through the air before tumbling to the center of the turn. Bell’s night was over.

“I’m not sure what happened into (turn) one there,” Larson said. “He probably didn’t know exactly where I was going. He thought I might slide myself or what, and I think I just entered in a spot that put him in a bad spot and he probably got tight on the cushion.”

From Bell’s point of view, “I didn’t run him over, but I didn’t have an option.

“My car was really fast,” a dejected Bell said. “The thing was the best I’ve ever been here, for sure. Thank you to Kevin and Jordan (Swindell) for allowing me to drive their car. So, bummer we didn’t win.”

Larson said he didn’t feel any contact between the two of them.

“It was unfortunate on his part to wreck,” Larson said. “It would have been a good battle for the fans, but at the same time it’s always nice when you don’t have to battle Chris for a win because he’s so good.”

There were still seven laps to go, and Larson now had Donny Schatz and Scelzi lurking behind him. But once the race went back green, Larson put a period on the night charging to his seventh career Series win at the Memorial Day Spectacular presented by KOI Auto Parts.

Schatz finished second with Scelzi third.

To see full results, turn to the next page.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Wynn’s, the automotive products technology company that has embraced the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the international highlight of its 80th anniversary celebration this year, unveiled the livery of the No. 85 Wynn’s/Keating Motorsports Ford GT that team drivers Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Felipe Fraga will race in the GTE-Am class during the June 15-16 event.

“Wynn’s has a storied racing past and a history of winning at the highest levels of motorsports,” said Manuel Barba, Business Unit Manager, ITW Professional Automotive Products. “We are pleased to be celebrating our 80th Anniversary with our racing debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and feel that this is the best possible place to start writing the next chapter in Wynn’s automotive products and motorsports history. We wish our race team of Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Felipe Fraga the very best of luck as they pursue victory in the world’s oldest active sports car endurance race.”

The striking livery for the No. 85 carries the familiar purple and orange colors and trademark Wynn’s oval logo in a design that follows the look of the four Ford Chip Ganassi Racing GTE-Pro class Ford GT Le Mans entries.

Keating and his team will be the first privateer entrants competing in a Ford GT, which won with the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team in the GTE-Pro class in the return of the legendary sports car to Le Mans in 2016.

The Keating Motorsports partnership at Le Mans also complements Wynn’s support of the IMSA 50th anniversary campaign Keating and his teammates are running this year in North America in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“I am so excited to be working with Wynn’s in both the USA and in Europe on these racing programs,” Keating said. “They are great partners and this is also their 80th Anniversary year. It seems to be the perfect storm of great people creating great results.”

INDIANAPOLIS — Twenty-year-old Santino Ferrucci was named Rookie of the Year for the Indianapolis 500 after finishing seventh in Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The announcement was made during Monday’s Victory Celebration at the J.W. Marriott.

Driving for Dale Coyne Racing, Ferrucci started 23^rdand moved forward to finish seventh, which was the best of the six rookies in the field of 33.

Ferrucci, who celebrates his 21st birthday on May 31, led his first NTT IndyCar Series lap and made the largest number of passes of any driver on track with 30 while on his way to registering his best NTT IndyCar Series career finish.

Ferrucci earned $50,000 for being named rookie of the year.

“To be honest, it’s finally sinking in,” expressed Ferrucci. “You can only win Indy 500 Rookie of the Year once. That hadn’t occurred to me until now. It’s quite an honor. I can’t thank the team enough for giving me such a fantastic car the whole month. I was comfortable in the car all month and I think as a rookie that’s really important. Thank you to Honda, Firestone, and Cly-Del Manufacturing who has been behind me through everything that’s happened in the last few years.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Front Row Motorsports and Club Exploria, LLC. — developer of the vacation ownership Exploria Resorts brand, announced an agreement that will make Exploria Resorts the official hospitality sponsor of the racing team.

As a part of this new partnership, Exploria Resorts will be the primary sponsor of David Ragan and the No. 38 ExploriaResorts.com Ford Mustang this weekend at Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway. Exploria Resorts will also be present all weekend at the track in the Fan Fair area giving fans a chance to win prizes and sign-up to win an Exploria Resorts vacation.

Ragan will make several appearances at the Exploria Resorts booth to sign autographs and meet fans.

Exploria Resorts will soon announce details for fans to win two VIP race experiences to the 2020 Daytona 500. The VIP race experience will include airfare, tickets and the opportunity to spend time with Ragan and the No. 38 team in the garage and pit leading up the race.

“NASCAR fans are very passionate about their sport and enjoy traveling and spending vacation time with their family” said Thomas J. Morris, president and CEO of Club Exploria. “These interests align perfectly with our mission which is to provide a lifetime of vacation experiences for our members. We are excited about the partnership with Front Row Motorsports and David Ragan at the Poconos 400 while providing fans the opportunity to learn more about Exploria and to give them a chance to win great vacation packages.”

Exploria Resorts currently boasts seven destination vacation resorts and the portfolio continues to grow, most recently adding Pocono Mountain Villas.

“I think this is a great opportunity for fans to learn more about Exploria Resorts and become a member,” said Ragan. “When travelling, we’re looking to great, safe places for our family to stay and have fun. Exploria Resorts provides that at their beautiful Poconos, Daytona Beach, Gatlinburg and Orlando Properties. I’m excited about the great things they are doing, getting involved and allowing fans the opportunity to win a VIP experience to the 2020 Daytona 500.”

Washington Capitals star Evgeny Kuznetsov has denied ever using drugs after a video surfaced of him sitting next to a table on which there are two lines of white powder in what appears to be a hotel room.

Kuznetsov told the Russian media site Sport-Express that the video was taken last summer after the Capitals won the Stanley Cup and that he left the room as soon as possible after seeing unfamiliar women there and strange substances on the table.

Kuznetsov said he has never used drugs and was ready to undergo a medical examination to prove it.

The Capitals issued a statement that reads: "We are aware of the video that surfaced on social media of Evgeny Kuznetsov. We are currently in the process of gathering facts and will have no further comment at this time."

"I hesitate to use the term investigation because it's a fairly ambiguous word. Obviously, we have to understand the facts and circumstances. I wouldn't call it a formal investigation," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Monday. "There are a lot of questions I would have about the situation. Obviously, he's acknowledged being in the room with whatever it is. But I don't know whatever it is 'is,' and he claims not to have used whatever it is. So on that basis, I'm not going to convict him of anything."

Kuznetsov, 28, just finished playing for Russia in the World Hockey Championships in Slovakia. He had two goals and four assists in 10 games as the Russians won the bronze medal.

He led all players with 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in last year's Stanley Cup playoffs, which culminated with the Capitals beating the Vegas Golden Knights in five games to win their first Cup.

Kuznetsov had 21 goals and 51 assists this season for the Capitals, who lost their first-round playoff series to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.

As the Boston Bruins look to tack on another championship for the city's ridiculous winning tear, the St. Louis Blues hope to win their first Stanley Cup in improbable fashion. After all, this was a team in last place in January. After one game, the B's have the edge in the Stanley Cup Final, following their 4-2 victory.

Here's everything you need to know about how Game 1 played out in this edition of ESPN Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily, and click here to stream our Stanley Cup Daily podcast!

Jump ahead: Last night's game | Three stars
Play of the night | Social post of the day

About last night ...

Game 1: Boston Bruins 4, St. Louis Blues 2 (Bruins lead the series 1-0)

One of the stories heading into Game 1 was that the Bruins had a 10-day layoff between games while the Blues were coming in fresh. And St. Louis couldn't have asked for a better start. The Blues played the aggressive brand of hockey that led them to the Final and jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

Then things unraveled, about 22 minutes in. A normally disciplined team couldn't stay out of the penalty box. "Five penalties takes a lot of guys out of the game and uses up a lot of energy of other guys," Blues coach Craig Berube said. The second period was the dreary turning point, as St. Louis couldn't sustain any offensive zone time, let alone pressure. The Blues would be outshot 30-12 over the final two periods. Boston mustered enough offense, thanks to goals by rookie defenseman Connor Clifton, second-year defenseman Charlie McAvoy and fourth-liner Sean Kuraly, plus an empty-netter from Brad Marchand.

Three stars

1. Sean Kuraly, C, Boston Bruins

The fourth-liner is building quite the résumé. Besides his game-winning goal (and assist) in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Kuraly scored the game winner at the Winter Classic, as well as game winners in Game 7 versus the Leafs in the first round and in Game 4 versus the Blue Jackets in the second round, the team for which he grew up cheering.

2. Connor Clifton, D, Boston Bruins

Just when the energy was sucked out of TD Garden, the rookie defenseman brought the crowd back to life by getting the Bruins on the board. Hey, it doesn't matter how it goes in, right? Just that it went in.

3. Charlie McAvoy, D, Boston Bruins

We've heard about how scary-good the Bruins' power play can be (it's the best in a postseason run since the 1981 Islanders, after all). After failing to convert on five power-play chances, McAvoy was able to get a man-advantage goal, unassisted.

Play of the night

Bruins defenseman Torey Krug lost his helmet while tangling with Blues winger David Perron by the Bruins' net. Then Krug proceeded to skate the length of the ice with hair flowing to deliver this huge -- and legal -- hit.

Torey Krug lights up Robert Thomas. pic.twitter.com/0U3cp1m60T

- Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) May 28, 2019

Dud of the night

After building a 2-0 lead, the Blues were a dud for pretty much the entire second period. According to Natural Stat Trick, they had zero high-danger shot attempts (Boston had six). They had seven total shot attempts (Boston had 29). They also had only three shots on goal, including none in the final 8:16 before the second intermission.

Social post of the day

Krug wasn't the only one with thoughts on his big hit. Everyone was talking about that Krug play on social media Monday night, but we particularly liked this take from Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba:

Torrey Krug is a savage ��

- Matt Dumba (@matt_dumba) May 28, 2019

Quotable

"Well, he got a haircut a couple days ago, so he was looking pretty good." -- David Pastrnak on Krug

Real Madrid will not sign Kylian Mbappe, Neymar or Antoine Griezmann this summer but do hope to complete the transfer of Eden Hazard, according to club president Florentino Perez.

Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have been linked with Madrid in previous transfer windows and PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said this week his wish is to keep all of his players but he cannot "promise" that will be the case.

- When does the transfer window close?

"I have not spoken about Mbappe or Neymar with [Real Madrid coach Zinedine] Zidane or anyone else out of respect for the players that are in other clubs," Perez told Spanish radio station Onda Cero radio.

"We haven't spoken to him [Mbappe] and we will not do so. Last year, as requested by PSG president [Nasser Al-Khelaifi] and due to the volume of rumours circulating on a daily basis in the newspapers here and there regarding Mbappe and Neymar, we announced that we were not interested in any of them. Moreover, if one day we want them, the first thing we will do is speak [between the clubs]."

Perez also denied rumours that Madrid were interested in signing Atletico Madrid forward Griezmann.

A reported target of Barcelona, the France international announced earlier this month he intends to leave Atletico.

"Never," Perez said when asked if Madrid had made an approach to sign Griezmann. "He has never been offered to us. We've never spoken about signing him. I've been asked in recent times whether those rumours were true but it's not."

One player Madrid are expected to land this summer is Chelsea playmaker Hazard.

The Belgium international is set to make a decision regarding his future after Wednesday's Europa League final against Arsenal.

"We have wanted to sign Hazard for some years but up to now, we have not been able to do so," Perez said. "I have hope to have him come this summer. I have a lot of interest in him coming to Real Madrid. We wanted him last year but this time it will be easier as he has one year left on his contract. He is one of the greats that remain in world football."

Perez added that Madrid are still in the planning stages for the 2019-20 campaign.

"Right now, we are not thinking about players -- at least I am not," he said. "From the start of July, we will meet with Zidane and see what he wants to do. We will buy and sell. We are going to build a good team."

Asked if the best thing for Gareth Bale was to leave Madrid this summer, Perez said: "I cannot answer that. I think Bale is a magnificent player. We have not received any offers for Bale or any other players."

Ernesto Valverde's future will be up for discussion at a meeting on Wednesday as Barcelona weigh up whether to keep their coach on following a disappointing end to the season, multiple sources have confirmed to ESPN FC.

Reports in Spain suggested Valverde would lose his job on Tuesday, but sources inside the club insist that is not the case. President Josep Maria Bartomeu will meet with various members of the club's hierarchy in a series of meetings over the coming days before making a definitive decision.

- Marcotti: Is Valverde the right man for Barca?
- Hunter: Valverde not to blame for underachievement
- Keep or dump: How should play with Messi next season?

Valverde, 55, has been under extreme pressure since Saturday's Copa del Rey final defeat to Valencia. The coach's position was already under threat following the 4-3 aggregate loss to Liverpool in the Champions League semifinal earlier this month. It was the second time in as many years that Barca had surrendered a three-goal first-leg lead in a European tie.

In Valverde's favour is the fact that he has steered Barca to back-to-back La Liga titles since taking over in 2017. He also won the Copa del Rey last season and the Spanish Super Cup at the start of this campaign. He signed a one-year contract extension in February.

Bartomeu excused him of the blame for the weekend's loss to Valencia and high-profile players, including Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique, have publicly backed the coach.

Sources close to Bartomeu have told ESPN FC that the president does not want to rush into a decision but is reluctantly considering a managerial change.

There have been various reports in the Spanish media this week about what will happen, but sources say that very few members of the board are currently in the loop. Those that are are locked in a debate about what repercussions should follow the Liverpool and Valencia losses.

While Valverde's future is on the line, general manager Pep Segura's position is also under threat, while several players are also expected to leave as the Catalans look to shake up their squad over the summer.

Meanwhile, speculation has begun about who could replace Valverde if he is pushed. Diario Sport claim that Belgium boss Roberto Martinez, who is from Catalonia, is the frontrunner, while Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman and Ajax's Erik ten Hag have also been linked.

Tottenham's new stadium, in a drab part of outer/north London, is a thing of wonder. Automatic taps that fill the glasses from beneath can deliver 10,000 pints a minute, everything is cash-free and the South Stand alone can seat 17,500 people: more than Bournemouth's entire stadium. The new White Hart Lane also symbolizes a shift in soccer power: for the first time ever, the British capital is becoming a capital of the European game.

It's no accident that London has produced three of this season's four European finalists: Spurs in the Champions League, and Arsenal and Chelsea in the Europa League. These still aren't the best clubs in Europe, but their location now allows them to compete with the game's traditional giants.

For over a century, London soccer didn't amount to much. The English professional game originated in the north and Midlands, and by 1900, there still wasn't a single London side in the first division. It took until 1931 for the first southern club to win the English title when Arsenal did it, but after the war, as industry began to die in northern England, soccer supremacy moved south: since the early 1970s, southern clubs have often outnumbered northern ones in the top two English divisions.

- When is the Champions League final?
- Okwonga: The secret to Liverpool and Tottenham's success
- Laurens: How BFFs Lacazette, Aubameyang transformed Arsenal

The simplest rule of the soccer economy is that money buys quality. Stefan Szymanski and I showed in our book "Soccernomics" that the best predictor of where a team will finish in the league is how much it pays in salaries (not transfer fees). The rule of thumb is that the team with the highest salaries finishes top and the team with the lowest salaries finishes bottom.

A few clubs manage to break this rule, though usually only briefly: Leicester won the title in 2016 and in the past two seasons Liverpool have punched above their weight despite a lower wage bill than the two Manchester clubs; Manchester United should be doing better given how much they spend. Still, the champions of Europe's biggest leagues this season and last -- Manchester City, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona -- are just about the continent's richest clubs. Money isn't everything in football, but it is almost everything.

For most of history, London clubs lacked the money to compete on this level. When the accounting firm Deloitte produced its first ranking of the 10 richest European clubs in 1997, only Chelsea snuck in at No. 9, but the British economy has its own simplest rule: over time, money flows to London. No other European city has more investors. When Roman Abramovich decided he wanted a soccer club in 2003, he was always likely to end up buying Chelsea rather than, for example, Burnley. It is said he chose it because it was the nearest club to his house on Eaton Square. (He was wrongly informed that Arsenal wasn't for sale and he rejected Spurs because the drive was too long and dismal.)

Meanwhile, London was getting richer. Growing numbers of inhabitants were willing to pay to watch good soccer and so, in 2006, Arsenal moved from 38,000-seat Highbury to the new 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium. A decade later, West Ham moved into the 66,000-seat London Stadium. Last month Spurs joined the trend.

Chelsea's plans to build a 60,000-seat stadium have so far been foiled, but if you add on 90,000-seat Wembley, then London has replaced Glasgow as the "stadium capital of Europe." This season, London accounted for 37 percent of spectators in the Premier League -- the highest proportion in the history of the English top flight, as calculated by my Financial Times colleague John Burn-Murdoch.

Crucially, London's spectators pay fortunes for their seats as well. This past season, London clubs took the top five places in the rankings for most expensive season tickets in the Premier League. The highest prices ranged from £2,200 at Spurs (though punters were refunded some of their money after the new stadium's opening was delayed) to £1,149 at Fulham, according to FreeSuperTips. For comparison, the most expensive season ticket at Manchester United cost "just" £950.

And so, London clubs enjoy some of the most lucrative matchdays in soccer. Here is UEFA's ranking of the clubs that took the most money from each spectator (largely in ticket sales, food and drink) in 2017. PSG, the only club that beat the Londoners, benefits from its location in Paris, Europe's second-biggest urban economy, but suffers from its location in France, a league that doesn't appeal to most international stars.

Of course, matchday revenue alone isn't enough to catapult a club into the European elite. It can't do that for West Ham, for instance, though it could turn them into a consistent top-10 side in the Premier League. At most clubs in the English top flight, matchday accounts for only about 10 percent of total revenues. Thirteen of the 20 clubs take in less than £25 million a season each from matchday spectators, with TV and sponsorship income much bigger, but in London, matchday matters more than elsewhere.

Even in 2017-2018, when Arsenal were stuck in the Europa League, their matchday income was £99 million, or a quarter of their total revenues. For comparison, Manchester City, which played in the Champions League and won the English title that year, took in just £57 million from matchdays. (These stats were compiled by the Swiss Rambler, a respected blogger on the business of soccer.)

That extra £42 million in matchday income is what you might call "the London dividend." It enables Arsenal -- and from now on, Spurs -- to buy or keep an extra top player or two.

Helpfully, too, most transfer targets are keen to come to London. When Roy Keane was managing Sunderland from 2006 to 2008, he complained "there are players going to clubs in London simply because it is London." He said "if a player doesn't want to come to Sunderland then all well and good. But if he decides he doesn't want to come because his wife wants to go shopping in London, then it's a sad state of affairs."

In 2013, Luis Suarez, then at Liverpool, decided he wanted to move to Arsenal. In his autobiography he explained why. "I told myself that it's easier for players to become anonymous in London and that was what I wanted. I couldn't walk down the street or go to the supermarket in peace anymore." Instead, he ended up joining Barcelona, a reminder that a handful of Europe's clubs remain bigger than anything to be found in London.

In 2014, after Alexis Sánchez chose Arsenal over Liverpool, then-Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers summed it up from his perspective: "It wasn't due to a lack of ambition by the club. It was about where the player and his family wanted to choose to live."

Players will rarely come out and say that they are joining a club chiefly because of its location but Jon Smith, a football agent, says there is a "London discount" -- some players are willing to play for a club in the capital for less than they could earn elsewhere. That may particularly benefit West Ham and Fulham, who have recruited some spectacular players relative to the clubs' weight.

Sánchez's preference was typical not just of footballers but of workers in general. In a global survey of 366,000 people by the Boston Consulting Group and Totaljobs last year, London was voted the world's most desirable city for overseas workers. The only looming threat to the city's appeal is Brexit (Britain's departure from the European Union) if Brexit ever happens.

The equation is simple: better players boost London clubs' income from TV and sponsors. That helps these clubs qualify for the Champions League more often, which boosts their income again. In Deloitte's latest Football Rich List, Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs (plus PSG) all made the top 10.

London clubs have now found a berth in the European elite just below historically larger clubs such as Liverpool, Bayern Munich and the "Spanish Big Two" of Real Madrid and Barcelona. Before 2006, no London club had ever reached the Champions League final. Since then Arsenal have got there once, Chelsea twice (winning once) and Spurs have now completed the capital trifecta. In this season's Premier League, London clubs also earned 36.5 percent of the total points -- their third-best performance in the top flight ever, behind only 1986-1987 and 1989-1990, according to Burn-Murdoch.

Soccer used to be practically the only bit of English (and French) life in which the provinces could outclass the capital. Now even that last consolation is at risk.