Yes they did
And, it is just a poor choice of events for most entrants. Strange rules that don't work with any other events, very little lap time per $$$, and very expensive to get to the front of the field.
Good luck to anyone who enters knowing what they are getting in for, they are providing a great spectacle for the crowd. But for mortals on a normal budget, why spend 10 year's racing budget on getting to the top 5? There are much better ways to get track time if you want more than 30 laps for your year's budget.