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There's racing and there's being in a race.
Racing is a great motivator. It makes the event very different to doing the same route as a hasty tour. There's an external pressure you don't get, even when you've told yourself you're going to 'do this route as fast as I can', the exception being maybe going for an actual time - RRA record, beating an existing FKT.
Being in a race still provides a higher level of motivation - it's less of a solo pursuit, being 'watched' in any activity makes people perform better (generally, there's actual science on this, it's why things like 1to1 coaches in gyms are more effective than doing a program off a phone app).
hippy
So for those who don't race at the sharp end of the ultra races, what's the motivation compared to just going and riding at a later date? Is it the competition with others, comparison with others riding in the same conditions etc? Other than XC races years ago, I've not got the interest in racing, so riding is fine for me so genuinely interested.