Yes, but the total number of cars in all the weekend's rallies is the same as in years past. It seems many competitors on a budget are opting to stick with the Club Rallies.
We could argue for weeks about whether or not this is good for the sport as a whole(I happen to think it is), but this seems to be what THE MASTER PLANNERS have been striving for. Remember, last year many Nationals had only about 35 cars, filled out by Club Rally entries. As the costs to stage a ProRally continue to climb faster than the costs to stage a ClubRally, I think we will see more of this. Increased costs mean increased entry fees, plus a ClubRally can often be staged as a one day event, whereas a ProRally is almost certain to require three days, not including travel time.
A healthy, hotly contested ClubRally series can only be good for the weekend competitor, as well as the NEXT BIG HERO on his/her way up.