imo no. many of the tracks have little bits of dirtroad like that round them.. plus in those screenshots there are no barriers to the other side of the dirt road, and they're too thin for racing.
No, all tracks have service-lanes. That's the street over which servicecars can drive around the track. They are added for realism and exist on most tracks.
No reason why it cant be because you look at how narrow bl rally track is. The track might be wide and makes it look that way. Why would they have that dirst track go all the way round?
That road was already there was it not? Anyway i rekon the lights are for better track detail and not anything to do with a night mode. And that road is there for the same reason...to look good, as most tracks have support roads running along them on some sections.
Oh and if you look at the quality of all the other pics posted, then look at that new one...doesn't that look more like rain than dodgy quality of the pic?