WSB: Walker 2nd fastest

Britain’s Chris Walker finished second fastest in a last minute dash for the front row in Friday first qualifying for Sunday’s WSB races at Valencia.

ZX-10R rider Walker was only bested by championship leader Troy Corser’s GSX-R1000. Frankie Chili emerged as a surprise challenger for pole, too – finishing third fastest.

The last-gasp charge for front row places pushed Kagayama down to sixth and left defending champion James Toseland in a disappointing 12th.

We made as-it-happens updates as the drama unfolded on Friday afternoon – see below (page 2) for the blow-by-blow account.

Corser was also fastest in first practice on Friday morning, see link right for full details of that session and of supersport first practice and qualifying.

Second WSB qualifying and superpole is on Saturday. The racing itself is on Sunday. For live timings over the weekend click HERE

First qualifying result:

1. Corser (1:35.954)

2. Walker (1:36.731)

3. Chili (1.37.003)

4. Neukirchner (1:37.127)

5. Muggeridge (1.37.146)

6. Kagayama (1.37.159)

7. Clementi (1.37.299)

8. Martin (1.37.332)

9. Lanzi (1.37.465)

10. Abe (1.37.520)

11. Laconi (1.37.566), 12. Toseland (1.37.648) 13. Cardoso (1.37.650), 14. Silva (1.37.727), 15. Gimbert (1.37.763).

We offered updates on first qualifying direct from Valencia on Friday afternoon – here’s how it happened, minute by minute:

Last minute: Corser, Walker, Chili, Neukirchner, Muggeridge, Kagayama…

3 mins left: Most bikes back out: Corser new fastest lap, Neukirchner into 2nd Muggeridge into 3rd

6 mins left: Corser, Clementi, Toseland, Haga, slowing Neukirchner. Lanzi, Abe, Vizziello in pit

Corser fastest (1:36.871) 2. Laconi 3. Walker 4. Kagayama 5. Vermeulen 6. Clementi 7 Muggeridge 8. Neukirchner 9. Martin 10. Toseland 11. Gimbert. 12. Haga 13.Lanzi 14. Abe 15.Vizziello

9 mins left: .Martin up to ninth

Corser fastest (1:36.871) 2. Laconi 3. Walker 4. Kagayama 5. Vermeulen 6. Clementi 7 Muggeridge 8. Neukirchner 9. Martin 10. Toseland 11. Gimbert. 12. Haga 13.Lanzi 14. Abe 15.Vizziello

10 mins left: Corser new fastest lap. Laconi up to 2nd.

Corser fastest (1:36.871) 2. Laconi 3. Walker 4. Kagayama 5. Vermeulen 6. Clementi 7 Muggeridge 8. Neukirchner 9. Toseland 10. Gimbert. 11. Haga 12.Lanzi 13. Abe 14.Vizziello 15. Pitt

13 mins left: Muggeridge up to sixth, Neukirchner up to 7th

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Vermeulen 5. Clementi 6. Muggeridge 7. Neukirchner 8. Laconi 9. Toseland 10. Gimbert. 11. Haga 12.Lanzi 13. Abe 14.Vizziello 15. Pitt

15 mins left: Vermeulen up to fourth

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Vermeulen 5. Clementi 6. Vermeulen 6 Laconi 7. Muggeridge 8. Toseland 9. Haga 10. Gimbert 11.Lanzi 12. Abe 13.Vizziello 14. Neukirchner 15. Pitt

17 mins left: Toseland up to eighth

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Clementi 5. Vermeulen 6 Laconi 7. Muggeridge 8. Toseland 9. Haga 10. Lanzi 11. Abe 12.Vizziello 13. Neukirchner 14. Pitt 15. Cardosa

19 mins left:

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Clementi 5. Vermeulen 6 Laconi 7. Muggeridge 8. Haga 9. Lanzi 10. Toseland 11. Abe 12.Vizziello 13. Neukirchner 14. Pitt 15. Cardosa

22 mins left:

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Clementi 5. Vermeulen 6 Laconi 7. Muggeridge 8. Haga 9. Lanzi 10. Abe 11.Vizziello 12. Toseland 13. Neukirchner 14. Pitt 15. Cardosa

24 mins left:

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Clementi 5. Vermeulen 6 Laconi 7. Muggeridge 8. Haga 9. Lanzi 10. Abe 11.Vizziello 12. Toseland 13. Neukirchner 14. Pitt 15. Cardosa

26 mins left:

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Vermeulen 5 Laconi 6. Haga 7. Muggeridge 8. Clementi 9. Lanzi 10. Abe 11.Vizziello 12. Toseland 13. Neukitchner 14. Pitt 15. Cardosa

32 mins left: Toseland, Lanzi, Abe. Muggeridge, Vermeulen, Walker back on track

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Vermeulen 5 Laconi 6. Haga 7. Muggeridge 8. Lanzi 9.Vizziello 10. Toseland 11. Neukitchner 12. Abe 13. Cardosa 14. Chili. 15 Silva

35 mins left: Toseland, Lanzi, Abe back on track

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Vermeulen 5 Laconi 6. Haga 7. Muggeridge 8. Lanzi 9.Vizziello 10. Toseland 11. Neukitchner 12. Abe 13. Cardosa 14. Chili. 15 Silva

38 mins left: Most bikes now in pits

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Vermeulen 5 Laconi 6. Haga 7. Muggeridge 8. Lanzi 9.Vizziello10. Neukitchner 11. Abe 12. Cardosa 13. Chili. 14 Silva 15. Toseland

42 mins left: Toseland, Walker, Laconi, Haga, Muggeridge, Abe, Silva in the pits

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Vermeulen 5 Laconi 6. Haga 7. Muggeridge 8. Vizziello 9. Abe 10. Cardosa 11. Silva 12. Toseland

42 mins left: Toseland in the pits

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Vermeulen 5 Laconi 6. Haga 7. Muggeridge 8. Vizziello 9. Abe 10. Cardosa 11. Silva 12. Toseland

44 mins left

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Kagayama 4. Vermeulen 5 Laconi 6. Haga 7. Muggeridge 8. Vizziello 9. Abe 10. Cardosa 11. Silva 12. Toseland

45 mins left:

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Vermeulen 4 Laconi 5. Haga 6. Kagayama 7. Muggeridge 8. Cardosa 9. Vizziello 10. Silva 11. Abe 12. Toseland

47 mins left:

Corser fastest (1:37.026) 2. Walker 3. Vermeulen 4 Laconi 5. Haga 6. Kagayama 7 Muggeridge 8 Cardosa 9. Vizziello 10. Silva 11. Abe 12 Toseland

49 mins left:

Corser fastest (1:37.183) 2. Walker 3. Vermeulen 4 Laconi 5. Haga 6. Kagayama 7 Muggeridge 8 Cardosa 9. Silva 10 Toseland

50 mins left:

Corser fastest (1:37.183) 2. Walker 3. Vermeulen 4 Haga 5 Kagayama 6 Muggeridge 7 Laconi

51 mins left

Corser fastest (1:37.183) 2. Walker 3. Vermeulen 4 Haga 5 Kagayama 6 Muggeridge 7 Laconi 8 Cardoso 9 Silva 10 Lanzi

53 mins left:

Walker fastest (1:37.987) 2. Vermeulen 3 Haga 4 Kagayama 5 Corser

56 mins left:

First bikes are circulating.Toseland fastest (1:39.019)

Bikes are due out on circuit from 1.15pm

The second qualifying session and superpole is on Saturday – the races themselves on Sunday.