It concerns me to see people saying, "It's packed! Why are they using NPCs when it's so busy?" That's really shortsighted. What happens a month from now? Two months from now? What happens when the crowds aren't necessarily there anymore?

I think SE made a good choice filling the races with NPCs, particularly because this is the only way we can level our racing chocobo. It means faster leveling and it means a consistent experience for racers who start later than others.