I did shuffle racing for the first time tonight. It was fun, but it was so weird.
First, it is an open lobby, so there are a fair number of people bowling through corners, throwing hockey checks, or simply bumping around. There was also a sailor who only spoke in blue. He was the only other guy with a mic, so that was kind of miserable.
But the rest of the guys were fun, and they did try to do a good job of staying clean. What was weird to me were the cars. I go for a few races with random little FFs on Comfort Soft tires. Horrible understeer and crazy long braking. I do slip into the middle of the pack on a few races, but tend to finish at the bottom.
One race, I get a Neon. I don't expect much from it, but it was the fastest car in the field. Everyone would crowd around me in the corners, but as soon as we got into a straight, I'd pull away and leave them all behind. I win the race. Well, the car won the race. I just avoided crashing into the wall and losing the race.
As a reward for winning, I get an 1973 Alpine. Off the line, everyone pulls away. I get close as they leave the first corner, but on the straight, the pull away. Each corner, they are further and further away. I have the slowest car in the field. I probably have the slowest car in the shuffle car park.
And that is what is so weird to me. It wasn't, "Let's bump you down a bit." It was, "Whoa, you go to the back of the line."