My Bona Fides:

I'm not posting these by way of boosting my ego (indeed, a cursory examination will show that I lose more races than I win), but rather to show that anyone who is willing to put in the hours can become good enough to beat the game and, occasionally at least, to win a race or two online.

Next under is a shot showing total bounty and cost to state. The bounty, using the bus station approach, is fairly easy to accumulate. The cost to state is harder.

The screen at the end of the career mode indicates that wonderful things will happen if you manage to become number one on all the pursuit milestones. I spent a lot of time doing it but in the end all you get is a couple of new cars that are, in most cases, unusable online if your purpose is to win.

I believe I noted in the main text that all electronic variables being the same, with the right car and the right track (and a little luck) it's possible to beat almost anyone. The fellow next under was undefeated until a quick race dropped me into his room, on the pole and on a course where the first turn determines the outcome. That was his one loss and I expect I won it because I surprised him off the line and had my best race of the month. (And I'll be quick to point out that I met him several other times and was completely wiped out ... in fact his computer may have burped when I won, or his net hub ;-)