Oxford Cheetahs Aussie ace Todd Wiltshire made a brilliant start to his Grand Prix career when reaching the A final in the sun-baked Marketa Stadium in Prague on Saturday.

He made one of his customary superb starts in the final ahead of winner Billy Hamill and the sensational Mark Loram, but was passed on either side coming out of the second bend, eventually finishing fourth to Hamill with Loram runner-up and Chris Louis third.

Hamill and Loram featured in a fantastic finish when the Californian just got home by less than a wheel.

There was no luck for Jimmy Nilsen, who has been a major player over the last three years. He managed only two third places in the main event and was eliminated after heat 15. It proved a great day for British speedway, with both Louis and Loram reaching the A final, while Carl Stonehewer proved a revelation by reaching the B final.

Wiltshire gained 16 GP points and starts off in the main event in Sweden next month, while Nilsen will have to go through the pre-main event.

HEAT DETAILS

Pre-main event Heat 1: Loram, Danno, Smith, Brhel. Heat 2: Kasper, Gustafsson, Louis, Makovsky. Heat 3: Hamill, P Karlsson, Dobrucki, Karger. Heat 4: Wiltshire, Stonehewer, M Karlsson, Andersen. Heat 5: Dobrucki, Andersen, Smith, Makovsky. Heat 6: Louis, M Karlsson, Karger, Brhel. Heat 7: Stonehewer, Hamill, Loram, Gustafsson. Heat 8: Kasper, Wiltshire, P Karlsson, Danno. Heat 9: Loram, M Karlsson, Danno, Dobrucki. Heat 10: Gustafsson, Louis, Andersen, P Karlsson.

Main Event Heat 11: (re-run) Stonehewer, Wiltshire, Sullivan, Rickardsson (exc). Heat 12: Gollob, Hamill, Hancock, Kasper. Heat 13: Louis, M Karlsson, Nilsen, Crump. Heat 14: Loram, Gustafsson, Adams, Screen. Heat 15: Kasper, Sullivan, Nilsen, Screen. Heat 16: Hancock, Rickardsson, Adams, Crump. Heat 17: Hamill, Stonehewer, Gustafsson, Louis. Heat 18: Loram, M Karlsson, Wiltshire, Gollob. Heat 19: Gollob, Rickardsson, Gustfasson, Kasper. Heat 20: Wiltshire, Louis, Sullivan, Hancock. 1st semi-final: Louis, Hamill, Gollob, M Karlsson. 2nd semi-final: Wiltshire, Loram, Rickardsson, Stonehewer. B final: Gollob, Rickardsson, M Karlsson, Stonehewer. A final: Hamill, Loram, Louis, Wiltshire.