Lapping has become a big part of the game because holding is a big part of the game. I think of the lapper as analogous to the blitzer in American Football. Their job is to rush the passer and either tackle him or force him into a mistake. The lapper forces the race to move along at a faster pace and it puts some pressure on the players (ie. Ant, Lum, WS, Rev) who are very good at holding. The lapper has become somewhat necessary to negate that style of play (or capitalize on it). If someone is consistently getting lapped they need to improve on their escape skills.
I would also say that I wouldn't try to lap so much if players wrestled less and drove more. Generally, I am a much better player at high speeds than at slow ones anyway.
Lastly, like Lum I am not a big fan of rogues.