I was cruising Phillip Island’s pitlane when I heard the news – sorry, make that bombshell – that all three-race rounds in 2006 will feature a full reverse grid for race two.

Strewth, when I suggested, in V8X in 2003, that reverse-grid races were worth considering, I never thought we would see the day when they would actually be introduced. I must admit I’m a bit dumbstruck – as was most of pitlane!

V8 Supercars Australia (the artist formerly known as AVESCO) has tinkered with the reverse-grid concept for a while. Firstly, there were the reverse-grid affairs at the disastrous Canberra street races from 2000 to 2002. Then there’s the use of inverted grids in the Development Series.

But at no time has it been properly assessed in the main game. At least by the end of 2006 we will all know if it has been a success. If it turns out to be a bigger dud than, well, the chilly Canberra street race, then it can be dropped for 2007. Simple as that.

The thing to remember is that the quality of today’s field is far superior to any time in the sport’s past. There are simply no plonkers in the sport today – the last of them left after the Phillip Island finale – so there’s never been a more perfect time to trial the concept. The seasoned pros should be able to deal with inverting the grid.

Both trackside punters and TV heads will love it – at least until their favourite driver gets dispatched into the boonies. Reverse grids will also help share the love around the teams in regards to TV exposure time.

Some circuits lend themselves more to reverse grids than others. Queensland Raceway is a logical venue, while Surfers Paradise’s concrete canyon-like round could get very interesting.

My only real reservation is whether improving the show comes at the expense of the sporting contest. At times the line between sport and entertainment is close to being totally erased in V8 Supercar racing.

If we want the general media to cover our sport, then it has to be a sport. If it becomes all razzamatazz without substance and meaning, then the newspapers will ignore it. Mediocrity should not be rewarded.

Still, I might be hitting the panic button before its season-long trial.

But it’s easy for me to suggest that turning the grid sheets upside-down is a good thing. I’m not the one who will pay the repair bills.

I happened to be outside WPS Racing at the time I heard the bombshell, so I ducked into Fortress Gore to hear team boss Craig Gore’s initial reaction to its introduction. Not surprisingly, he didn’t hold back in declaring himself a non-believer.

"I think that what they have done (introducing reverse grid racing) is a real stupid thing," he offered. "If we want to make changes and make the sport more entertaining, there’s things we can do like reducing the size of fuel cell to make strategy more important. Reversing the grids will just cost a shitload of money and a lot of heartache because it will cause carnage. It won’t balance the field out, it will just cause carnage.

"The argument against reducing the size of the fuel cell was that it would cost too much money, but reversing the grid will cost a lot more."

He’s probably right. But I must say I’m glad V8 Supercars Australia has bitten the bullet and decided to give reverse grids a proper trial.

It could well turn out to be a masterstroke. The move that really sends V8 Supercar racing into the sporting mainstream, a la NASCAR in the USA.

Either way, by this time next year I reckon we will know if reverse grids will be here to stay. – Jason