I won't be entering at the new event - so don't have that kind of dog in the discussion about fees.
But look at it this way before you suggest alternative rates and stuff, gentlemen: The SCTA has suffered some serious money-losing times thanks to a bunch of factors, one of which is the fact that we race on natural race courses -- so can't control them all that well. And we've had crappy courses for a couple of years.
So SCTA managed to, evidently, cull through a bunch of stuff form the "short" track events from Maxton to EM and Mohave and so on, no doubt. And they've found a place to run -- even if they aren't the first to use the site.
I was there last summer and it's so new to many of the folks that were there -- competitors, officials, spectators -- that I'd sure be in no hurry to crank up the numbers for huge participation. Let 'em get a year in before they try to start fine-tuning very much. Pay the higher fees and be happy that you're getting to run at a new type of event for the SCTA.
Thanks, ladies and gennulmen!