Scott Nicholls insists he is closing in on an elusive Grand Prix win after his final heartbreak in Cardiff.

The Eastbourne Eagles No. 1 reached only his eighth final in 62 GPs, and his first at the Millennium Stadium, much to the delight of a 45,000 crowd in Cardiff.

But his challenge ended in anti-climax when he broke the tapes at the start and was excluded from a final eventually won by Jason Crump.

Nicholls helped Eagles beat Belle Vue 56-37 in Elite League action yesterday, despite another new Arlington track record for Aces star Crump in heat one.

But that GP near miss will haunt Eastbourne's top scorer as he aims for a top-eight finish to guarantee his participation in neat year's series.

Nicholls said: "I really felt I was up there this time. I was as quick as anybody but I'll take the positives.

"I got into the final, I was on the pace.

"It's such a huge letdown when you touch the tapes.

"If I had done four laps and come last I would have known I had given it everything I had.

"But it's done now. I will get a win this year. I was hoping it would be Cardiff but I just have to look at the next GP and see if we get it there."

Crump underlined why he is re-emerging as a serious threat to world champion Nicki Pedersen as he led the Aces' resistance yesterday.

He took heat one in 55.8secs, one-tenth inside the track record he had set himself in April, and went on to win four out of four, one of them for double points.

The previous record, held by Tony Rickardsson, stood for five years.

A long, drawn-out meeting in dry, dusty conditions gradually developed into a question of who would deny Crump his maximum as Eagles took control.

The answer was nobody, although Lee Richardson provided a scare when he outgated him in heat five, only to be caught going into the third bend.

The home skipper, on the outside of Crump, went hurtling into the air fence in the process and was excluded by referee Christina Turnbull, who did not have a great view from the home straight.

Crump and Charlie Gjedde went back out for an easy 5-1 over Cameron Woodward which cut the home lead to two points.

Nicholls and Bridger replied immediately with a comfortable maximum over guest Kevin Doolan and Jonas Raun as they hosts headed towards a fifth successive home win.

Bridger, Edward Kennett and Nicholls were all unbeaten by Belle Vue riders other than Crump.

Ride of the day, though, came from No. 7 James Brundle as he swept inside Gjedde off bend four in heat 12 to claim a paid win which delighted the home fans.

That was one of three 5-1s featuring Brundle. His first was with Simon Gustafsson in heat two as the home reserves enjoyed a morale-boosting afternoon.

Brundle will have relished the cheers which greeted his call for a first ever heat 15 outing, a race for which Crump did not appear.

Gustafsson was doing wheelies too as he helped Woodward to a heat-14 5-1.

That sort of contribution from reserve will be key to helping Eagles contend for silverware.

Nicholls said: "We've struggled in heat two but the reserves are settling down a bit, getting a bit of confidence and that's what we need.

"We want to try to support and encourage team-mates in the right way."