Racing games are really fun when they don't even try to be realistic. Fantastical settings like Wipeout or Star Wars or Crash Team Racing are great.
I remember playing NFS: Carbon on the PS2 as a kid and loving it, then I bought NFS: Shift expecting something similar and it was a dull piece of shit with no story, no atmosphere, no music, no original setting or exploration (only irl tracks) and it forced me to use a brake button for the first time in my life. Racing games should be about going fast, and the only way you should interact with a corner is with drifting, not braking.
Also friendly reminder anyone who talks about muh skill ceiling in any genre is an anti-fun fart-huffing fag.