Old joke - if I'm holding a bee in my hand, then what's in my eye? Answer: Beauty is in the eye of the bee holder.
(Sorry, couldn't help myself.)
We all have different tastes and what appeals to one may not appeal to another I've seen some pictures of the jelly roll race quilts that were beautiful, to me at least. I don't think the purpose in making it is to make a quick quilt, it's to make THIS quilt and perhaps compare your finish time to the race times. It's also to try out this pattern and see if you like it. It's a novelty, but one that is creative and interesting. It can be a fun way to bring quilters together to make quilts for charity. I bought a couple of jelly rolls just for this purpose, though I haven't put them together yet. I'm hoping the guild will have a race and I can make one then.