Anderson pocketed the $10,000 payday but certainly had to earn it as he led the majority of an absolute slide-fest 35-lap A-Main at the new ‘pleasure-dome’ of Australian Speedway that included Matt Egel, Corey Eliason and Ryan Newton at the pointy end of the 24-car field at various intervals.
“This is badass, I love it, to get the win and get the ten kay ($10,000) this is awesome,” he smiled during presentations.
Californian Cory Eliason and Queenslander Ryan Newton shared the front row with Grant Anderson and Matt Egel on row two, Will Carroll (despite swapping a motor after the Dash) and Kerry Madsen on row three and Jackson Delamont and Rusty Hickman rounding out the top eight.
The four cars transferring from the B-Main were Randy Morgan (winner of the 
Brock Hallett, Jessie Attard and Andrew Priolo.
The thirty-five lap JBS Australia Jamboree saw Anderson lead home Cory Eliason in second in a nail-biting finish where the Californian made several committed lunges around the outside in turn one and two in particular in the dying laps.
“Ando was too good in the middle in turn three and four so each time I got a run in one and two he’d get away again. I was stumbling a little coming out of three and four as well so I kinda couldn’t get out of my own way,” said Eliason later.
Matt Egel placed third, James McFadden fourth after coming from sixteenth, Ryan Newton fifth, Kerry Madsen sixth, Marcus Dumesny seventh, Randy Morgan eighth after coming from twenty first, Callum Williamson ninth and Glen Sutherland rounding out the top ten.
On lap two of the A-Main Jason Pryde looped the W14 in turn three and four on the cushion leaving Jordyn Charge nowhere to go and spinning the NT11 to a stop against the wall.
Charge and Pryde went to the rear with Charge later pulling to the infield with ongoing hydraulic wing ram issues.
It was a busy race for Eliason with separate contact points with first Grant Anderson and then Matt Egel entering turn three on separate laps early.
Kerry Madsen was a potential podium finisher early also in the Diamond Bay Motorsport #26 and Queensland “President” Ryan Newton was up and about several times in the first half of the race and then again with a late race charge.
His eventual fifth place was not indicative of his outright speed.
Warrnambool Classic winner James McFadden began slicing his way forward from the outside of the eighth row using the top – which included a love bite on the main straight concrete wall near the virtual flagstand that certainly got his attention.
Australian Champion Lockie McHugh stormed forward eleven positions inside of ten laps in the SRV #1 and was looking like a major podium force before the power steering issues he suffered at the Warrnambool Classic reared their ugly heads again forcing him infield on lap twenty three.
Around half race distance Newton began his assault on leader Anderson in the Monds Motorsport V37 and Kerry Madsen stepped up his bid for the top three at the same time.
With seventeen laps remaining Jackson Delamont brought on the cautions in the Mad Harrys Steel N48.
Marcus Dumesny began his bid for the top step taking the Rowett Motorsport N47 to sixth on the restart and McHugh was now up to seventh from twentieth when the reds came on for a vicious ride for Jackson Delamont after contact with Dylan Menz.
Delamont had qualified into the Dash and was running safely inside the top ten for much of the race until he restarted at the rear and then unfortunately flipped savagely after room ran out between Delamont, Menz and Kingshott in turn one.
West Aussie Cal Williamson gained some momentum and had a ripping run on the bottom as McHugh ran the top outside him and Will Carroll continued his excellent run on the top as well.
McHugh retired the A1 with twelve laps to go as McFadden moved into the top three briefly before a near disaster moment occurred on the back straight between McFadden, Egel and Newton when the trio got extremely intimate.
McFadden was doing McFadden things on the extreme high side in the PCB Racing Wx23 moving back into third and setting off after second placed Eliason in second.
Egel and McFadden continued to duke it out with nine to go as Ando attempted to run away and hide on the bottom.
With eight laps to go Brock Hallett retired the Q5 and the slide jobs between McFadden, Egel, Eliason and Newton continued relentlessly.
With five laps to go the top five bunched up as Eliason made his play for Anderson’s lead dragging Egel, McFadden and Newton with him.
Anderson stayed committed to the bottom (something he would later lament but admitting it was a necessary evil) whilst Eliason pounded the top in the Monte Motorsport Maxim.
With four laps to go Anderson, Eliason and McFadden were within fifty metres of each other and McFadden was a real chance to advance fifteen positions and win on Tolmer debut.
With one lap remaining McFadden slid Egel for third (Egel would return serve and re-claim the final step of the podium), and Eliason had one last crack on the top to try and steal the win from Anderson coming up just metres short.
“I knew they’d be coming from me,” grinned winner Grant Anderson, “but yeah I tried to be as smart as I could. I obviously don’t want to run the bottom the entire race like that but I didn’t see anyone and I moved up a couple of times and they nearly got back under me. She was wearing out a lot coming out of two but held on man.”
Official A-Main placings:
1. Grant Anderson (started 2nd)
2. Cory Eliason (started pole)
3. Matt Egel (started fourth)
4. James McFadden (started sixteenth)
5. Ryan Newton (started second)
6. Kerry Madsen (started sixth)
7. Marcus Dumesny (started ninth)
8. Randy Morgan (started twenty first)
9. Callum Williamson (started thirteenth)
10. Glen Sutherland (started eleventh)
11. Rusty Hickman (started eighth)
12. Dayne Kingshott (started twelfth)
13. Andrew Priolo (started twenty fourth)
14. Michael Stewart (started eighteenth)
15. Jessie Attard (started twenty third)
16. Ian Madsen (started fifteenth)
17. Dylan Jenkin (started nineteenth)
18. Will Carroll (started fifth)
19. Jason Pryde (started fourteenth)
20. Brock Hallett DNF (started twenty first)
21. Lockie McHugh DNF (started twentieth)
22. Jackson Delamont (DNF)
23. Jordyn Charge (DNF)
24. Dylan Menz (DNF)
Heat winners were Ryan Newton, Kerry Madsen, Matt Egel and Rusty Hickman in the Dave Challons Camden V45.
The Dash win went to Cory Eliason who also broke the track record in Flight One Qualifying with a sizzling 10.856s lap.
Grant Anderson was the quickest car in Flight Two qualifying with 10.983 – this was his second “Quick Time” result at Tolmer in two events.
The B-Main was won by Randy Morgan.
Tolmer Speedway wishes to thank JBS Australia, the teams, the fans, the club members and the hard working officials for supporting the second major event at Tolmer in thirty four days.
Ends release…
Nakitia Pollock & Gavin Skene