🏒 Double OT Excitement! 🚀 Ready for Speed Weekend? 🏁

Happy Friday 🙌

The unofficial start to summer is upon us, and Speed Weekend has arrived. Sunday’s motorsport trifecta brings heaven for race fans with 1,300 miles over three races from sun-up to sun-down. Plus, the NBA/NHL Conference Finals continue each night. The next tennis major (French Open) and big changes with the NCAA will headline next week's content. We will catch you up on yesterday’s results, and this weekend, we will race...

 Readers, Start Your Engines!

WTF Stat: Tony Stewart is the only driver in history to complete "The Sunday Double" by racing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, finishing on the lead lap in both events. In 2001, Stewart finished 6th at the Indy 500 and 3rd at the Coca-Cola 600, covering 1,100 miles of racing daily.

🏈 Is it the end of the chain gang? The NFL will test an optical tracking system for line-to-gain rulings this preseason. The league will implement the technology for the regular season if all goes well. Could this be the end of the chain crew? (NBC Sports)

⚾️ In a year of rather slow starts for some of MLB’s top young talents, Paul Skenes’ arrival has brought life to the 2024 class. Who else might inject some excitement into a big-league roster before the end of the year? (FOX Sports)

 🎾 Rafael Nadal is in the French Open field after all, but the 14-time champion at Roland-Garros wasn’t gifted with a favorable draw in what’s expected to be his last appearance. He’ll face Alexander Zverev in the first round. (ESPN)

🏀 NBA PLAYOFFS - C's Breeze Behind Brown's 40 😤 

ECF Game 2: Jaylen Brown (40 Points), Celtics Out-Pace Indiana in 2nd Half (126-110) as Tyrese Haliburton Suffers Hamstring Injury

 The Celtics are cruising towards their second NBA Finals appearance in three seasons after a brutal Game 2 for the Pacers in more ways than one. Indiana scratched and clawed to keep the game close until a third-quarter pull-away by Boston. Then, Tyrese Haliburton exited with a left hamstring injury. It’s hard to believe Indy can make a comeback in the series if Haliburton misses more games. Jaylen Brown (40 points) caught the hot hand in Game 2. Brown, the Game 1 hero, shot 14-for-27 with four 3s. Game 2 was never in doubt after a third-quarter Boston run. The Pacers will regret letting Game 1 slip through their fingers, but it’s 2-0 heading back to Indy during Indy 500 race weekend. BOS Leads Series (2-0)

⚠️ Indy’s Caution Flag: The Pacers’ turnovers (16) were a big storyline again in Game 2. Indiana had 21 TOs in Game 1.

Top Scorers

J. Brown (BOS): 40 pts, 5 rebs (Four 3s)

P. Siakam (IND): 28 pts, 5 rebs

J. Tatum (BOS): 23 pts, 6 rebs, 5 asts

D. White (BOS): 23 pts, 6 asts (Four 3s)

 Watch: Jaylen Brown Drops 40 as Celtics Breeze Past Pacers in Game 2 (126-110)

🏒 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS - Late Skate: The McDouble (OT)

WCF Game 1: Connor McDavid Lifts Oilers Past Stars With Double-OT Winner (3-2, 2OT)

 That's two for the road warriors in the NHL Conference Finals. Connor McDavid hadn’t scored a goal in six postseason games, but he found the perfect time to break the skid last night in Dallas — well beyond Midnight ET. The Oilers held a 2-0 lead halfway through the second period of Game 1, but the Stars rallied to force overtime (2-2) with two goals from Tyler Seguin, the latter coming late in the third period. Edmonton regained their composure before McDavid lamented a great goal-scoring opportunity in the first OT that was shut down by Jake Oettinger. He wasted little time sealing it with a tap-in winner just 32 seconds into 2OT. Heartbreak in Texas, but they're hyped in Canada. McDavid in double OT… The McDouble! EDM Leads Series (1-0)

 💫 Falling Stars: The Stars have dropped seven consecutive Game 1s in the postseason series.

Top Skaters

T. Seguin (DAL): 2 Goals

C. McDavid (EDM): 1 Goal, 1 Assist

Z. Hyman (EDM): 1 Goal, 1 Assist

L. Draisaitl (EDM): 1 Goal

 Watch: Connor McDavid Nets 2OT Winner to Lift Oilers in Game 1 (3-2,

Larson's 1100-Mile Quest 🏁 - Kyle Larson Will Attempt to Become the 2nd Driver to Complete the Indy-Charlotte Double on Sunday

 Four have been brave enough to try. Only one succeeded. It’s the ultimate driver’s endurance test. On the same day, two of the longest and most iconic races in IndyCar and NASCAR, four states apart? Kyle Larson will attempt the Memorial Day Weekend double this Sunday, racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, beginning in Indy and ending in Charlotte. For the mathletes, that’s 1100 miles of driving — on top of 400 miles in the air. It’s roughly the same distance as a road trip from New York to Miami, but logistical challenges still stand in the way.

 Weather, Flights & Pit-Stops: There’s a lot that has to go right for Larson to complete the historic feat. The Indy 500 weather forecast shows rain could impact the race. Any major delays or cautions could throw a wrench in the plan. Larson will rely on a helicopter ride to the Indy airport to catch a charter jet straight to Charlotte. Former President Trump’s attendance at the Coca-Cola 600 could also make security checks a nightmare as well. We could witness something special if Larson’s team members and pit crews don’t encounter problems.

 4 Attempts, 1 Completion

Only four drivers have ever attempted the Sunday Double. Tony Stewart remains the only driver to complete all 1,100 miles through to the finish, and that was his second attempt in 2001. He finished 6th in Indy and 3rd in Charlotte. It was also attempted by John Andretti, Robby Gordon, and Kurt Busch, but none of those four completed both races. Busch was the last driver to attempt it in 2014.

Larson has won 25 NASCAR Cup Series races over the past eight seasons. He’s widely respected as one of the best drivers, but he’s never driven in an IndyCar or open-wheel race. He earned the No. 5 spot in Indy 500 qualifiers last week and will start on the second row. Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin is the Indy 500 pole-sitter.

 Gear up for race weekend!

 Read More

Motorsports: Kyle Larson’s Stand-By Drivers Revealed for 2024 Double Attempt

On May 24th, 1992, in the Indianapolis 500, Al Unser Jr. held off Scott Goodyear to win by 0.043 seconds, the closest finish in Indy history, becoming the first second-generation driver to win the race.

🏁 Race Weekend Trifecta

F1: Monaco Grand Prix (Sun. 9:00 am, ESPN)

IndyCar: Indianapolis 500 (Sun. 12:30 pm, NBC)

NASCAR: Coca-Cola 600 (Sun. 6:00 pm, FOX)

🏀 NBA Playoffs

Gm 2: Mavericks at T-Wolves (Fri. 8:30 pm, TNT)

Gm 3: Celtics at Pacers (Sat. 8:30 pm, ABC)

Gm 3: T-Wolves at Mavericks (Sun. 8:00 pm, TNT)

🏒 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Gm 2: Panthers at Rangers (Fri. 8:00 pm, ESPN)

Gm 2: Oilers at Stars (Sat. 8:00 pm, TNT)

Gm 3: Rangers at Panthers (Sun. 3:00 pm, ABC)

🎾 French Open

1st Round Begins (Sunday-Monday)

⚾️ MLB

Royals-Rays Series

Dodgers-Reds Series

Rangers-Twins Series

Full MLB Schedule

⚽️ Soccer

MLS Schedule | NWSL Schedule

FA Cup: Man. City vs. Man. United (Sat. 10:00 am, ESPN+)

🏀 WNBA

Liberty at Lynx (Sat. 1:00 pm, CBS)

Fever at Aces (Sat. 9:00 pm, NBATV)

 *All Times ET

Trivia Time Answer

A.  Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, Coca-Cola 600. Memorial Day weekend is a highlight for motorsports enthusiasts, featuring three major events: the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the Coca-Cola 600. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of Formula 1's most prestigious races, held on the challenging street circuit in Monte Carlo. The Indianapolis 500, part of the IndyCar Series, is known as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." The Coca-Cola 600, a NASCAR event, is the longest race in the series, taking place at Charlotte Motor Speedway. These races provide a thrilling weekend of diverse and high-stakes motorsport action.

More NEWS Heading into the Weekend:

🏀 Toronto WNBA Franchise Officially Confirmed With Expansion Team to Begin in 2026 (AP)

🏀 Cavaliers Fire Coach J.B. Bickerstaff After 5 Seasons (ESPN)

🏈 Eagles Sign Former 1st-Round WR John Ross to 1-Year Deal (CBS Sports)

⛳️ Louisville Police Discipline Officer Whose Body Cam Wasn’t Active for Scottie Scheffler Arrest (Yahoo! Sports)

🏈 TNT Will Televise College Football Playoff Games Through 5-Year ESPN Agreement (B/R)

📺️ Longtime Cowboys Reporter Ed Werder is Leaving ESPN (SI)

🥇 Gymnastics Icon Oksana Chusovitina to Miss First Olympics in Over 30 Years (SI)

🏈 Ex-NFL Receiver Antonio Brown Files for Bankruptcy Despite $80 Million in NFL Career Earnings (Yahoo! Sports)