James Brundle has revealed the extra motivation that fired him to a best-ever paid-ten for Eastbourne.

The rookie No. 7 admits he badly wanted to prove he was a better signing than opposite number Jonas Raun.

Brundle certainly did that, going close to a paid maximum from his four programmed rides before, to cheers around the stadium, getting the call for heat 15.

Meanwhile Raun ended up with one point from seven rides.

Brundle's score was some haul for the very last rider to be signed by an Elite League club going into this season.

He was picked up by Eagles after an eventful weekend in the run-up to the campaign back in March.

This was just after the Arlington club had realised Ricky Wells would not fit into their plans.

Raun was lined up as an exciting replacement and described as Sweden's answer to Lewis Bridger.

It was somewhat ironic when he announced he could not come to England after all because of off-track problems back home - at the same time as Bridger's assault charge came to light.

So Brundle was in. And, though there have been tough times since then for the plasterer from Norfolk, his endeavour has never been in doubt.

The pay-off came last Sunday with that crowd-pleasing pass inside Charlie Gjedde as the Dane eased just a little too wide at the end of heat 12, lap one.

Brundle said: "I needed a good meeting. I wanted to prove I was a better signing than Jonas Raun. I've always had that in my mind.

"I needed to build my confidence. That should set the ball rolling and get me scoring heavily at home and hopefully better away.

"I know I was a replacement signing for Raun. I was second choice. I wanted to prove I should have been first choice and I'm worthy of having the seven spot here.

"I love it down here and don't want to leave. I feel like I'm definitely getting there now. I had a bit of a slip-up in my second ride and I wanted to get something out of that.

"Kev Doolan's a Premier League rival from King's Lynn so I wanted to beat him, but he's a good lad."

Instead, Doolan was the only Belle Vue rider to beat Brundle in his programmed rides, though he also ran a spirited last place in the nominated race behind Doolan again and Gjedde.

Brundle said: "It would have been nice to have finished it on a maximum. I probably wouldn't have done heat 15 then.

"Fair enough, it's an experience and I'm glad I did it. Once I heard the crowd I thought I'd go out and give it a go.

"I was slow off the start, which didn't help me. I tried to make a smart first corner and cut back but Gjedde was there so I was blocked.

"As soon as I went wide I got filled with dust. I couldn't see where I was going and I couldn't see the fence."

Team manager Trevor Geer admitted there was some hesitation before Brundle accepted his heat 15 ride.

Geer said: "At first he told me he was happy with ten from four and he'd leave it at that.

"Two minutes later he came back to me and said 'I'm up for it'.

"He deserved to go out there. It's not often a reserve qualifies from his programmed rides. He has had to work hard on his speedway but he is a good team man and he gets on with everybody."

It was a good day for Brundle and fellow reserve Simon Gustafsson against an admittedly weak Belle Vue line-up, Jason Crump excepted.

Brundle did not come up against Crump but he beat Raun three times, Nick Simmons twice, Billy Forsberg and Gjedde for his points.

Gustafsson picked off Raun twice, Simmons and Forsberg in his paid six from four.

Along the way, the home reserves enjoyed a rare 5-1 to give their team a lead they would never lose following the opening-race 3-3.

Geer said: "When I looked at what they were up against I was banking on a 5-1 from heat two."