The thing that struck me reading this article is I hadn't noticed the Repechage races were gone until now!
Previously some of the greatest moments have been in these races, but they were one of the more random elements of the competition as the two races were so different so whilst entertaining for us, not so fair on the competitors. Perhaps race 2 or 3 of the new format could take one of the wacky combos like Raptors around Willow and become part of the main competition. Imagine a Nurburgring Nordschleife 2 lap Kart race with a slipstreaming battle on the straight etc.
Anyway, I agree that the event reached new heights, it feels like the production team has got into their stride and despite one or two dodgy decisions (and as pointed out, these are common to all sports) the races are fun to watch and the next one in May still feels so far away.