...as long as you are facing the right computer opponent. Some of those races were worth 80 a-spec points, meaning they were impossible (don't recall the car types). I simply exited the race and re-entered. The next time I'd get a 7-point race, which was actually quite simple to win with my 501-hp Impreza.
I will say the Grand Canyon race on hard level is giving me issues. That is my last race to complete in that hall and I don't know if I have the patience to keep trying over and over.
By the way, the 1000-hp dirt trial car is quite useless if you ask me. I got it over 260mph on the test track, though.