NFH, thanks for your detailed answers. Interesting your comment about braking. I have bought the 3months-for-1 offer of iracing and it definitely intrigues me, but like you, I find the braking of the cars not quite right, but then, all racing sims I've tried are a bit unrealistic with regards to braking. Having said that, there are some corners real life where my own braking is not optimum, so who am I to judge
By the way, I have just started playing Richard Burns Rally... REALLY impressed so far. I don't rally, but the skills required just in the game surely must help real life.