wow.....

[ShawnK116]

so it would seem there is no way to just pick a map and drive around how ever ya want without once thinking of a actual race you have to go to first...
hmmm
luckily i found a way...
just make a LAN game and pick any map any vehicle ya want... do what ya want (still limited to track limits) but you and some friends can enable collision and have a go at messing around with any vehicle ya choose
...
and when you do this if you normally play on high settings(i do) once you go to this LAN mode the graphics SUCK!!! they magically lower the graphics,probably making the graphics worse then ANY game i have played in a while.