Rossi pleased with improved Qatar showing

Having finished fifth at the Losail International Circuit last year Valentino Rossi was pleased to have started the 2009 season - and his MotoGP title defence - with an improved second place in Qatar.

World Champion Valentino Rossi was unable to prevent Casey Stoner running away with a third consecutive season-opening victory at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, but the brilliant Italian typically took the positives from his second place finish in the Arabian desert in Monday’s re-scheduled MotoGP race.

Rossi was amongst those who had stated after Sunday night’s rainfall that it was important to stay on at the floodlit Losail track to put on a show for the fans on Monday evening, and whilst he was unable to catch Stoner at the front of the race he did his level best at trying to hunt down the Ducati Marlboro poleman.

Starting from second on the grid Fiat Yamaha’s Rossi was unable to go with Stoner from the first lap and had to get past his own team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and his old friend Loris Capirossi - who eventually crashed - before he could attempt to pull back the Australian.

A three second gap between the leading pair was cut down to two by Rossi midway through the race but he could not make further progress against Stoner, who has a superb record at Qatar and dominated every session over the weekend – the 2007 World Champion eventually winning by nearly eight seconds.

Afterwards Rossi commented, “Today the conditions of the track were quite different to before and this evening in warm-up we encountered a couple of small problems related to tyres, so our strategy had to change slightly tonight. It’s a pity because I think last night we could have put up more of a fight, but anyway this is a good result to start the season, much better than last year.”

Analysing the race in more detail he continued, “I knew I needed a good start in order to go with Stoner but unfortunately I didn’t get one and I lost some time fighting with Lorenzo and Capirossi and by then Stoner had already gone! The middle part of the race was great fun and I made six or seven good laps to come much closer, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to continue in that rhythm, it was too risky for the tyres and I decided it was more important to take the 20 points.”

Summarising the first GP of the season in general and looking ahead to visiting Japan for round two – where he clinched the title last season – Rossi concluded, “Casey was very strong but he is always fast here and I believe that our potential is very good; I think that we can be back fighting again in Motegi. I am so glad we could race today after yesterday and I am satisfied to be leaving here having made a good start to the season. There is a long way to go!”

Takahashi completes first step of learning process

Scot Racing Team’s Yuki Takahashi picked up his first MotoGP point on his debut in Qatar.

The 2009 season will be a matter of learning as quickly as possible for Yuki Takahashi in MotoGP, the Scot Racing Team rider who has moved up into the premier class from the 250cc category this year.

The 24 year-old found the going tough at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, qualifying down in 17th position as he continues to acquire the art of 800cc riding. He nonetheless rode a steady race on Monday night, concentrating on avoiding errors, gaining experience from the competitors around him and ultimately picking his first – albeit solitary – MotoGP point in the process.

On his run to 15th place at the Losail International Circuit, in his first MotoGP appearance, the Japanese rider commented, “The best came at the end, when I had a chance to follow Marco Melandri for a long while. I studied him, and I got a lot of information about how to deal with the front tyre and about braking points. Obviously this was just my first race in the class. Not only that, but I’d never done a long run before.”

Reviewing his maiden Grand Prix amongst the big boys overall, the former 250cc race-winner added, “I'm satisfied. My target was learning the bike and how to compete against the best riders in the world. How to deal in the heat of the first laps, and strategies, and tactics. At the beginning of the race I lost a little time, but I didn’t want to make any silly mistakes. And at the end I was able to keep the same pace of the riders who were in the first groups. Now I can prepare for my home race, in just over a week, in Japan.”

United attitude spot on for Rooney

Christiano Ronaldo's spectacular winning goal will have grabbed the headlines but Wayne Rooney was quick to commend Manchester United FC's all-round team performance after their 1-0 quarter-final win at FC Porto on Wednesday night.

'More solid'
United put their recent defensive wobbles behind them to earn their first shutout since 11 March and, in truth, they seldom looked like losing the lead given them by Ronaldo's sixth-minute strike. Rooney told uefa.com: "I thought we looked a lot more solid tonight. The last few weeks defensively we have been open and have conceded a lot of sloppy goals. We'd looked at the goals we conceded and they were poor goals to give away. We knew we had to get it right if we wanted to win the trophies we are involved in. Tonight was a bit similar to [the semi-final against] Barcelona last season where we defended really well, but we nicked a goal tonight to win the game."

Compact
Porto may have had 17 goal attempts but they managed only four on target – compared with ten in the 2-2 first-leg draw in Manchester. Nemanja Vidić said: "The difference between the first and the second leg was we defended as a team, we were compact." The Serbian also underlined the importance of defensive partner Rio Ferdinand's return from injury, adding: "Rio brought confidence to the team, he played well. I was happy to have him next to me."

Confidence
It was not just at the back that United impressed. The defending champions looked dangerous when they attacked, with both Ryan Giggs and Rooney himself – tireless in a wide role – catching the eye. "If you defend well then you always have opportunities on the counterattack," said Rooney. "I thought we had two or three good opportunities in the second half and maybe could have nicked another goal but the main thing is we went through. We have two difficult games against Arsenal [in the semi-finals] who we know are a good team but you have to be confident in yourself and hopefully we can get to that final."

I had it in my mind to shoot and try to score and that's what I didCristiano Ronaldo

'Unbelievable strike'
It can only help United if Ronaldo keeps producing special goals just when it mattters. The Portuguese attacker gave United the perfect start when he struck for the third successive UEFA Champions League game with that early long-range effort. "One of those moments that decides whether you win or lose," was the verdict of Dimitar Berbatov. Michael Carrick concurred: "It was an unbelievable strike. It put us in a good position because we started the game very well and I thought the goal was a big bonus for us and gave us something to hold on to." As for Ronaldo's own response, he was as direct as his shot: "I had it in my mind to shoot and try to score and that's what I did. It's the best goal I've ever scored. I've just seen the replay and I didn't realise it was 40 yards [36.5 metres] out and I hit it at 65mph - wow! This victory will give us confidence. The last five games we didn't play great, but I hope this will change that."

Drama in store in the last four

Victories for Manchester United FC and Arsenal FC last night guarantee an English presence in the UEFA Champions League showpiece in Rome on 27 May, while a second successive all-English final would be on the cards if Chelsea FC were to get the better of FC Barcelona in the other tie. uefa.com looks at the history behind the fixtures ahead of the eagerly awaited last-four ties.

FC Barcelona v Chelsea FC
Tuesday 28 April – Camp Nou
Wednesday 6 May – Stamford Bridge

• It is the third time the clubs have met in the latter stages. Barcelona won an epic quarter-final in 1999/00, 6-4 on aggregate after scoring twice in extra time, and also had the edge in the first knockout round in 2005/06 en route to winning a second European Champion Clubs' Cup. Twelve months earlier at the same stage John Terry headed a late winner to send the Blues through 5-4 on aggregate.

• Barcelona have won four of the nine previous semi-finals they have contested – those successes coming in 1960/61, 1985/86, 1993/94 and 2005/06 – in addition to advancing to the 1991/92 final as winners of their last-eight group.

• Barcelona's home record against English opposition is impressive, with 13 wins, nine draws and just two losses from 24 previous meetings. Both those defeats came against Liverpool: a 1-0 reverse in the 1975/76 UEFA Cup semi-final first leg, and then a 2-1 defeat in the 2006/07 first knockout round.

• Last season's semi-final defeat by Manchester United means the Spanish club have won seven and lost nine of 16 two-legged contests against English opponents.

• Chelsea are in the semi-finals for the fifth time in six seasons. Their victory against Liverpool last season followed two previous defeats by the Reds, while they also lost at this stage in 2003/04, succumbing 5-3 on aggregate against AS Monaco FC.

Manchester United FC v Arsenal FC
Wednesday 29 April – Old Trafford
Tuesday 5 May – Arsenal Stadium

• Since meeting for the first time on 13 October 1894, the clubs have played 204 times. The Gunners have 77 wins to United's 82.

• Apart from last season's final, Manchester United have never met an English club in the UEFA Champions League.

• Arsenal have faced English opposition in Europe on two previous occasions, losing quarter-finals to Chelsea in 2003/04 and Liverpool last season.

• United's ten preceding semi-final appearances have brought just three victories, the most recent being last season when they eliminated Barcelona on their way to a final victory against Chelsea in Moscow.

• Arsenal have a 100 per cent record in UEFA Champions League semi-finals, having beaten Villarreal CF in their only previous appearance in 2005/06.

• The clubs are the only teams to win the English league and FA Cup double three times. United did it in 1994, 1996 and 1999; Arsenal in 1971, 1998 and 2002.

Source :

UEFA Champions League : Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

	Agg.		First leg	Second leg
Barcelona	-	Chelsea	28/04 »	06/05 »
Man. United	-	Arsenal	29/04 »	05/05 »

First-leg home team shown first.
First-leg home team score shown first for both legs.

Photo gallery

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Top scorers »

8	Lionel Messi	Barcelona
7	Steven Gerrard	Liverpool
7	Miroslav Klose	Bayern
6	Lisandro	Porto
5	Emmanuel Adebayor	Arsenal
5	Thierry Henry	Barcelona
5	Alessandro Del Piero	Juventus
5	Karim Benzema	Lyon

• Assists |
• Shots on goal |
• Shots wide |
• Ruled offside |
• Red card |
• Yellow card |
• Fouls committed |
• Fouls suffered

Last updated: 15/04/2009 23:11 CET

UEFA Champions League
Quarter-finals
14 April 2009
Bayern - Barcelona
Chelsea - Liverpool
15 April 2009
Arsenal - Villarreal
Porto - Man. United
07 April 2009
Man. United - Porto
Villarreal - Arsenal

Fantasy-Highest scoring players

Value	Player	Team
59	Franck Ribéry	Bayern
59	Steven Gerrard	Liverpool
58	Lionel Messi	Barcelona
53	Frank Lampard	Chelsea
52	Miroslav Klose	Bayern
49	Lisandro	Porto
45	Xavi Hernández	Barcelona
43	John O'Shea	Man. United
42	Thierry Henry	Barcelona
41	John Terry	Chelsea

Porsche : Porsche 911 - 964 Printable version Porsche 911 - 964 Turbo S Leichtbau 1 of 80

This car has been delivered new in France. It has only known 3 owners, the history is very well known and documented, and it is in a perfect shape and working order. We have tried to find some defaults on the car, but after close inspection, we have only noted five tiny stone chips on the front. The paint has received a Teflon treatment, and is very nice and neither the upholstery not the carpets show any trace of wear. The interior is a factory special order and is like the 959 comfort's ones. Apart from that the car is fully compliant with its original leichtbau specifications
It is very difficult to find a genuine 964 Leichtbau, as only 80 units have been produced to comply with the homologation regulations of the USA IMSA championship. Remarkably, Porsche has won this championship with this car. This is an opportunity not to be missed in a car collector's life. The few other cars available on the market are offered between 180.000 to 200.000 euros. This car is a real good deal.
We have not cleaned the car before the pictures were taken, and the car had just been driven on a 500 Km trip with bad weather. It is now far more beautiful after cleaning and polishing, and the paint shines like a new one.

This extremely rare 964 Turbo S Leichtbau is available in Paris with a french registration.

Source : www.carclassic.com

Cadillac 1933 V-16 convertible coupe

Cadillac 1933 V-16 convertible coupe

Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 222

1932 Hupmobile Model 216-B Roadster

This beautiful 1932 Hupmobile was an entry in the Pierce Park Car Show in Appleton, Wisconsin in 1992.

Classic Car Collection : Crosley Hot Shot 1950

The most comprehensive Classic Cars & Collector Cars resources available to ... Other Classic Cars. CHRYSLER CORPERATION. Chrysler. DeSoto. Dodge. Mopar Muscle ...

Micro car classic car : Harding invalid carriage 1961

Seller's description

Harding Model IV Bespoke invalid carriage extremely rare one of only 5 electric ones made and there are only 3 left

in known existence 2 of which are thought to run
Very nicely restored and 99% original this one runs perfectly with everything working as it should.

Item specifics - Cars & Other Vehicles
Manufacturer:	--	Colour:	Green
Model:	--	Engine Size:	1 cc
Type:	Three wheel invalid	Power:	--
Mileage:	--	Seats:	1
Doors:	--	MOT Expiry:	--
Reg. Date:	--	Drive Side:	--
Road Tax:	--	Previous Owners:	--
Exterior:	--	Transmission:	Automatic
V5 Document:	--	Fuel:	Electricity
Manufacturer's Warranty:	--	Service History:	--
In-Car Audio:	--	Safety Features:	--
Interior/Comfort Options:	--

mINI cARS : Microcar Minicar Classic Event

Tags: bmw, boston, citroen, classic, fiat, gould, Isetta, massachusetts, messerschmitt, microcar, minicar

13th Annual Microcar Minicar Classic Event
n Newton MA.
A reporter for The Boston Globe filed a report on the meet (but mostly about Smart Cars)

Extreem Photo : SkateBoard Style

Quiksilver King Of Snow

This innovative online snowboarding competition gives riders from all over the world the chance to pit their skills against each other

O'Neill Evolution......
The Evolution has begun and the training session are generating

Aston Martin V8 Coupe Automatic

Price: 70 694 USD (52 000 EUR) Year: 1982 Location: Europe Mileage: 76 700 km (47 659 ml) Chassis N.: V8SOL12334 Engine N.: V580/2334/S Colour: Green Interior: Beige leather

A very nice example of the now classic V8 coupe finished in British Racing Green with beige leather interior and green trimmings. A series IV (Oscar India V580) with an automatic transmission and AC and according to the current owner the vehicle was sold new in France and the first owner exported the vehicle to the US which explains the presence of additional side reflectors. The speedometer is however still in kilometres in conformity with the original specifications. The paintjob was redone in 2004 as well as some important panel work including taking the body work to naked metal and a new bottom and a new base for the rear window between the two fuel tanks. The vehicle also underwent an extensive mechanical overhaul including a new radiator and a new stainless steel exhaust. An invoice for more than EUR 20 000 is available which details the work realised on both the mechanical and cosmetic elements. The interior is in beautiful condition with the leather, carpet and woodwork all in in a beautiful state. The paintwork is very nice but we noticed some micro-scratches certainly caused by washing the vehicle. We also noticed the presence of some impacts on the corners of the front and rear bumpers. The engine runs perfectly and the stainless steel exhaust is pleasure to hear. This vehicle presents an opportunity to acquire a very healthy and perfectly maintained car which has also undergone important work on both the mechanics and cosmetic elements. Registered and available in France.

The price includes all European Union taxes and commissions.