The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 21

SljcItaBlomcsltcgistcr Wednesday, august 20,2008 state edition DesMoinesRegister.comsports NASCAR Nationwide Series Coming to Iowa race spurs seating expansion Newton track expects it will have to accommodate 70,000 fans Notable Nationwide drivers New By ROB GRAY robgraydmreg.com TH fen news conference at the track. "Kentucky (Speedway) draws 70,000 people (for Nationwide). They completely pack it out solid. The people here are just as excited about it as the people in Kentucky." Accommodating a crowd that size or larger for NASCAR's second-tier National Series, which regularly features such drivers as Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer, will require extensive reconfiguration and expense. Track officials are trying to determine to what extent those changes could be, based on the forthcoming results of a seating capacity feasibility study started last week, Iowa Speedway president Jerry Jauron said Tuesday.

He said the track can hold up to 30,000 fans without the addition of temporary seating. The largest crowd to date at Iowa Speedway an estimated 39,271 fans came June 22 for NEWTON, PAGE 4C wt f-7 Newton, la. Iowa Speedway designer Rusty Wallace officially announced Tuesday the track would host a NASCAR Nationwide Series race Aug 1, 2009. Then the effervescent former NASCAR star pegged the possible attendance for the 250-lap event. "I personally think a Nationwide Series race here could draw 70,000 people," Wallace, who also works for ABCESPN, said in a Clint Bowyer STARTS: 25 POINTS: 3,582 PLACE: First Carl Edwards STARTS: 25 POINTS: 3,469 PLACE: Second Kyle Busch STARTS: 21 POINTS: 3,003 PLACE: Seventh I Iowa Chops Names Head Coach New coach followin NFL Report Kansas City Chiefs Undrafted rookie Savage opening eyes at K.G.

camp Ex-Oklahoma State tailback has attention of Edwards, and shot at making roster. in his father's footsteps Vi J) Associated Press Kansas City, Mo. The odds were long entering training camp that Dantrell Savage would make the Kansas City Chiefs' roster when the season opened. However, he has picked up a big fan in head coach Herm Edwards. Savage rushed for 2,092 yards, averaging 6 yards a carry, in two A I years at Oklahoma State, but he was passed over in the NFL draft.

The Chiefs signed him out of a tryout camp, -v ri i j. M- 1 I ftv.v I I I I I 1 and he has opened 1 I BILL NEIBERGALLTHE REGISTER Gord Dineen speaks after being introduced as the Iowa Chops' new head coach on Tuesday during a news conference at Hy-Vee Hall. Dineen becomes the second coach in Iowa franchise history. This is Dineen's first head coaching job in the American Hockey League. Gord Dineen was assistant for AHL's Portland team Gord Dineen some eyes in the Edwards first two preseason is a fan games.

of rookie "He's like a bowl- Dantrell ing ball with butcher Savage, knives on him," Edwards said after practice Monday. "It's hard to tackle the guy. He's not the biggest guy. He's probably not the fastest guy. That's probably why he wasn't drafted, but then you look what he accomplished at Oklahoma State.

"He doesn't go down on the first hit. If you think you can just hit him with your shoulders and don't wrap him up, you've got problems. He's going to make yards. He's got a very strong base. He's got powerful legs." When Savage returned an Arizona kickoff 45 yards in the third quarter Saturday night to set up a Chiefs field goal, Edwards congratulated Savage on the sidelines.

"I said, 'That's what I Edwards said. just keep running like that. You keep doing CHIEFS, PAGE 4C See more photos as Gord Dineen is introduced as the new Iowa Chops AGE: 45 BIRTHPLACE: Toronto, Ontario FAMILY: Wife Alexandra and children Molly (4) and Finnegan (1). COACHING EXPERIENCE: Six seasons as an American Hockey League assistant (with Louisville, Springfield, Utah, San Antonio and Portland) and two years as a head coach in the ECHL (with Macon and Richmond). PLAYING DAYS: Competed in 528 NHL games in his career with the New York Islanders, Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators.

He won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 1991. He also won IHL Turner Cups with Denver in 1995, Utah in 1996 and Chicago in 2000. ByLISACOLONNO lcolonnodmreg.com Gord Dineen watched his father, Bill, make the transition from NHL player to coach during his extensive hockey career and strived to do the same. "I always wanted to follow in my father's footsteps," said Dineen, 45. Dineen, a former NHL defenseman, was introduced as head coach of the Iowa Chops on Tuesday.

He served as an assistant in the American Hockey League the previous five seasons. He most recently was an assistant for the Portland Pirates under his brother coach at DesMoinesRegister.com. Kevin. The Anaheim Ducks moved their AHL affiliate from Portland, Maine, to Iowa this summer, meaning Dineen will stay within the Anaheim organization and move his family to Des Moines in the coming weeks. "I'm quite curious to see how far he can go because he has the demeanor," said Bob Murray, Iowa's general manager CHOPS, PAGE 4C 1,1111111 1LBI I.

aillMJ. XT Yaz hospitalized in Boston The Red Sox said 18-time All-Star Carl Yastrzemski was undergoing evaluation after experiencing chest pains. D- uftUIBQn III MAN 1 Boston, Mass. Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, the last player tn hit for the Triple Crown, was ti 7 VII xP il hospitalized for tests Tuesday -s 1 1 aner experiencing cneai paiua. ml T-.

TtJ 1 Sox won their first pennant since 1946, but lost the World Series in Game 7 to St. Louis. Yastrzemski was elected to the Hall on the first ballot in 1989. He has often shied away from celebrity and rarely made public appearances, but drew a big ovation when he threw out the first ball before Game 1 of last year's World Series. Yaz finished with 452 career home runs and 1,844 RBIs.

He had 3,419 lifetime hits and batted .285. He also won seven Gold Gloves, expertly playing the caroms off the Green Monster. Yastrzemski is one of five former Red Sox players to have his number retired by the team. His No. 8 is painted at Fenway, along with those of Williams, Carlton Fisk, Bobby Doerr and Joe Cronin.

1 1 serious. The popular Yaz was an 18-time All-Star and spent his entire career in Boston, taking over left field for Ted Williams in 1961 and playing through 1983. In 1967, Yastrzemski helped revitalize the flagging franchise during the "Impossible Dream" season. And all over New England that summer, kids tried to imitate his unique lefty batting stance, with the bat held high over his head. With calls of "Yaz" echoing around Fenway Park, he won the Triple Crown that year, hitting .326 with 44 home runs and 121 RBIs.

Behind the AL MVP, the Red LA 'liij the 68-year-old Yastrzemski was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital and was undergo- ing evaluation and testing. The team said no further information was immediately available on its longtime great. Asked whether it was serious, Yastrzemski spokesman Dick Gordon said: "Any time you are in the hospital, it's got to be pretty ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO Baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, shown here throwing out the first pitch of the 2007 World Series in Boston, was hospitalized for tests Tuesday after experiencing chest pains. 0.