Seems like every time Montoya is dominating, NASCAR knacks him for speeding. Unless there was a malfunction with Montoya's pit speed lights, I'd say NASCAR basically rigged the results. I hate to say it, but it could be the cold hard truth.
If you are so bent on realism and that everyone on the planet can afford a $300 wheel, why not buy a real car and race it on a real track with other real cars?
I would recommend that everyone installs LFSRelax and uses the Pitspotter feature. 3 wide racing on an oval with no spotter to help you know who's next to you is a tedious job. Lighten the mental load up on yourself by using the PitSpotter.