I applaud thinking outside of the box, but the 6-hour wrapped inside a 12-hour just wasn't going to fly, and I personally wasn't surprised by the lack of interest in the format. It was like being invited to Thanksgiving, but being asked to sit at the kids table.
Certainly the number of races offered this year cuts into attendance. Specifically everyone saw the fall schedule early in the year and made their choices. When given the choice, they are choosing the sprint races.
The whole thing with the L classes is sort of like endurance racing with training wheels. Just because there are differences in refueling speeds we need to create more classes? That's sort of the tail waging the dog. If you create too many classes, and everyone wins a trophy, then you've really got a glorified lapping day, IMO.
BMW CCA CR endurance racing (which is not perfect but I use this as an example) mandates anything over 60 minutes as an endurance race. And as an endurance race they have a minimum 60 second stop for refueling (longer minimum stops for longer enduros where there is more fuel burn). This takes the emphasis on quick refueling (and the need to spend money on special enduro refueling rigs) somewhat out of the equation.
Don't get me wrong, I love enduro racing. I ran my car in the Cascade Fall Enduro a few times when it was a 6 hour. Ran the Spring PR race when it was 4 hour. Have traveled to Daytona to spectate at the Rolex 24 8 or 9 times.
And Wes, I'm also a fan of the 2-day double race weekend.