It's ridiculous to admire such simple variable valve timing in a performance vehicle. It doesn't improve the performance of the engine at higher RPM's, it just ruins it at lower RPM's as clearly shown in the dyno curve above.
I think it's a shame when a premier series (F1, MotoGP, etc.) limits technological advancement.
Overall, I think FIM has a pretty good system now. In Moto2, they have spec engines and spec ECU's and prototype frames to let talent rise to the top without too much influence from engineering dominance. This results in some pretty good racing. Then in MotoGP, they let the teams go nuts, with the best rider they can find, on the best bike they can build. This results in astonishing displays of engineering and riding skill, and does not necessarily preclude good racing. Spec tires kinda limit what they can do, though, unfortunately.
I've actually been on the Pocono oval, but only very briefly as part of one of the infield road circuits. Mostly that part is just used as a toilet by NASCAR fans.
The biggest thing for me is that American events tend to be artificially geared towards excitement, and that cheapens the whole experience. Exciting moments become far less exciting when they happen every 5 minutes in every race. There is a point where "exciting" becomes "normal/mundane" and that point is largely a function of frequency. You need plenty of boring moments to balance it out. Quality over quantity.
International events are guilty of this too (F1 is a major example) but I think to a lesser extent.
Motorbike racing in the US is probably the most International-like type of Pro racing we have, although there are ongoing efforts to Americanize it.
Club-level roadracing definitely focuses more on the driver's enjoyment and pure competition.
Not to excuse this potential bug, but why are you even using the visible line? It's a bad habit to get into. Pick out your own reference points. It'll make you faster.
"Hey guyz, I know you keep telling me to be patient, but I'm here to tell you I'm very impatient, and I think by telling you this Scawen will take pity and release the FWD econobox. I know we already have 3, but I want this one!"
Go watch some World Record laps and see how much they "cheat." (http://www.lfsworld.net, click on "S2 Hotlaps," click the "WR's" tab, and click on a lap time)
Note how smooth I am with everything I do, especially my line, steering, and throttle.
There's only one reason you can't approach their pace: you're a beginner, which means you have a lot to learn. You don't know the line and you don't have a good feel for the car. Get some practice in and maybe you'll start turning times within 2 seconds of the World Record.
If you think you're hot shit because you can beat the AI on Pro, guess again.
Why does it matter what race it was? It's a race. The objective is the same for all of them. Go fast without screwing up and hope that's fast enough to win. You screwed up, so you lost. Someone else was maybe slower than you but faster than the rest, didn't screw up as badly as you, and won.
Where's the problem here?
This is racing. You make a mistake, you pay for it, sometimes with a DNF. What makes you think you deserve a second chance after screwing up so badly?
The driver behind you may have been slower but didn't make a major mistake, and therefore deserved the win. The fastest driver who kept their cool and had the right pit strategy won the race. The purity of the sport was preserved.
Sounds good to me. All I see when I'm racing, even in real life, is the path of the track, my line through it, any necessary reference points along the way, and any vehicles in my way. Nothing else matters. Everything else is a distraction.
Frankly, I'm a bit annoyed by the emphasis racing sims place on emulating real life, namely real life cars, real life tracks, real life procedures (e.g. safety car). All that does is limit creativity and diminish the purity of the experience. You have this totally open world where anything is possible. Just apply proper physics so everything feels right, and go from there.