Given that, how do you limit the numbers? Do you say first in best dressed? Perhaps not, given the elite habit of not pre-entering. Or do you bin the Expert and Sport classes? It wouldn't be popular, but there'd still be clear-cut nat. champs crowned... Or do you insist on qualifying through the National Rounds...?
Dunno, just thinking aloud.
I've had that very discussion with MTBA, and NSWMTB has been forced to think through the same issue for the state rounds. Is there a simple solution (or one that will be taken to with open arms by the punters)?? I would tend to think not.
Like or not, every venue has a finite number of riders it can handle. Venues will all differ, and I suspect Stromlo would actually be at the higher end of the spectrum for its potential rider capacity.
The question is, what makes the nats more prestigious. Total numbers of riders, or a limited field that has been forced to qualify or progress into the nats.
Continuing the thinking out loud....if you only do one event a year, should it be the nats??
Personally I wonder if there should be a clearer line of progression from club events into state and then national. As it stands, for a lot of people (myself included) the state and nationals are in essence a glorified shuttle weekend.
Mind you setting up a line of progression would not be popular to begin with, so the higher end races will always be very crowded. But as you alluded to, at some point something has to give with numbers. As the sport grows you just can't keep packing people in.
I really think getting an emphasis on the grass roots club level racing before you run off to the big events is essential, but that will force the clubs to look at why individual club race day numbers are small.
Had never put much thought into the culling of classes (sport or expert), but I guess that is another way of skinning the cat.
As you said, whatever is done in the future is unlikely to be popular, but if the sport keeps growing as we all want it to, something will need to give at some point. You can't keep splitting the practice groups.