SWINDON skipper Leigh Adams gleaned 5 points from the first Grand Prix of the 08 series, as Tomasz Gollob took victory in Slovenia.
Thirteen years ago, the first-ever Speedway Grand Prix was won by Gollob - fast forward to 2008 and it was the Polish legend who triumphed in the 101st event of the series with victory in Krsko.
Gollob, who has only ever missed four GP meetings, timed his run to perfection on a night of changing conditions and fortunes, eventually getting the better of World Champion Nicki Pedersen in a re-started final.
It was the 12th meeting win of his career, and a result which gives him an early two point lead at the top of the standings - although the overall scorechart in Slovenia was remarkably close with no rider able to emulate Pedersen's perfect start to the 2007 season.
The opening twelve races showed the Grand Prix at its very best as the competitors put on some of the finest action ever seen in the series on the wide Krsko circuit with several racing lines available.
Pedersen was on top at that stage with eight points from a possible nine, whilst Andreas Jonsson and Hans Andersen had recovered from problems in their first rides to record two race wins each - Andersen finally getting the better of countryman Bjarne Pedersen in an epic heat ten, which went right to the wire.
Heavy rain during the interval then totally changed the track conditions, and gating became a matter of paramount importance with the inside route offering the fastest way around the circuit.
Gollob was arguably the main beneficiary as the luck of the draw handed him gate one in heats sixteen and eighteen - and it also meant he was not on the circuit at the time when the rain was at its heaviest.
By contrast, World No. 2 Leigh Adams failed to score in his last two rides, from outside gates, and went out with just 5 points to his name, and Niels-Kristian Iversen took advantage of gate two to snatch the last semi-final place by winning heat twenty.
The points spread for the whole field was just six, with the top four riders each on 10 points and Bjarne Pedersen on 4 - and thirteen of the sixteen competitors managed at least one race win.
Iversen was eliminated in the first semi-final along with Lukas Dryml, who also made a fine return to the series despite a heavy fall in heat eighteen when he came down as Jason Crump sailed through on the inside.
Jonsson and Nicki Pedersen progressed to the final, and were joined by Gollob and Andersen in the second semi as Crump and Greg Hancock went out.
Jonsson, off gate three, gambled on a fast start in the final, but his wheel clipped the tapes and he was excluded, leaving three men to contest the decider. Gollob gated with Andersen initially cutting back for second place, only to be re-passed by Pedersen going into the second lap. The Dane then put pressure on Gollob, but the leader held his line to take the flag.
Gollob said: "I'm very happy tonight, it was certainly a lucky day for me and I don't really know what to say at the moment!
"I'm really pleased with my team and I want to say a big thank-you to them and my sponsors, who paid for a new engine for today's meeting.
"In the last race I had to make a quick start with Nicki next to me going into the first corner, and I'm so happy. It's a good start to the year for me, and I like the next track at Leszno as well so maybe that will be the same result!"
GRAND FINAL RESULT: (Re-Run) Tomasz Gollob, Nicki Pedersen, Hans Andersen, Andreas Jonsson (exc, tapes)
GP POINTS: Tomasz Gollob 19, Nicki Pedersen 17, Hans Andersen 14, Andreas Jonsson 12, Jason Crump 10, Lukas Dryml 9, Greg Hancock 8, Niels-Kristian Iversen 8, Scott Nicholls 7, Fredrik Lindgren 7, Matej Zagar 7, Krzysztof Kasprzak 6, Chris Harris 6, Rune Holta 5, Leigh Adams 5, Bjarne Pedersen 4.
