Dark_art_: Thanks for the tip, I'm quite don't like the "always turn left" thing but may give it a try...
Neither did I, until i've tried NR2003. I found that NASCAR racing is very engaging and requires careful planning and lots of strategy and endurance to be able to even finish a race, even though to the outside observer it may just seem like "driving in circles".
Filtering through traffic in top speed is great, you must be quite perceptive what's going on around you while at the same time you have to keep an eye on the instruments so you don't overheat the engine while slipstreaming.
Also, the search of the best setup (usually asymmetric -- driving in a straight live requires constant driver input) is crucial and one mistake usually means the race is lost.
Other than that, the AI can also do mistakes (rarely, but it happens) and being able to go through a big crash without getting caught into it gets that adrenaline flowing.
I still don't watch the real NASCAR championship though, as i don't find it as engaging as MotoGP, TT, WRC (stopped watching modern F1 several years ago) or several other miscellaneous racing events.
Dark_art_: I would be glad with only a behind the car perspective since the onboard may be quite difficult to implement (Grid Autosport had all kind of trouble in it).
Since there isn't any next turn indications, like co-pilot or in-screen signs, maybe aerial but more behind the car camera, would let antecipate stuff better. People who competes for the leaderboard will do the same track again and again, so it wont matter to them, but will matter for more casual players.
Onboard doesn't have to be from inside the car; you can place the camera on the bonnet or roof, which would be more than fine for this game. Turn indicators and lack of pace notes could be a problem for some though, especially those who are into leaderboards who may feel "handicapped" by not be able to see farther down the road. I'm fine with it, eventually i'd learn the stages... In any case, a collection of 3-4 different cameras would suit everyone's tastes better than just one.