I do understand about the qualifications of the crew.
They are the "best", point taken.
To a large extent, tho, (and it's probably just me) I equate it to my younger years of rallying, auto crossing and also turn-marshaling sports car races.
i.e. I could really relate personally to vehicles recognizable as variants of what I and my friends drove on the street.
Once the vehicles got more specialized than the mid level of formula cars, up where the "A cars" raced with their V-8 engines in an open-wheel configuration or the top couple of classes of sports-racers, I lost personal interest. It just was not relevant enough to me.
The open wheel classes for production engines, like Formula V (VW) and S (Saab), were still kind of cool because I could 'relate' on some everyday level, but still not nearly as interesting as, say, a well prepped Datsun 510 with a cage and meatball tires. Or, a Volvo 122S. These were both, in street configuration, models that I drove everyday, the later with lowered suspension.....
Sail boat racing is similar -- I do enjoy watching the melee of a bunch of dinghies or small keel boats sorting out skills and tactics on the course, like I once did on my boat at several Ranger 20 Nationals events. Admission: unlike like a 'real sailor' I did not start out by racing dinghies. (!)
Win or Lose, we had tons of fun! The trophies are long ago put away and dusty, but the thrill can still be spooled up in the mental screening room anytime!