'Simulation-Lite' racing games for PC?

Hey, fellow Gamespotters, quick question for you all here. I'm looking for racing games that fall somewhere in between Need for Speed and Simbin Studios in terms of realism. For those who don't know who Simbin studios is, they took the "Real Racing" genre to the next level, by linking a gamer and a real car and having him race the pros at a test race at the Nurburgring. o_O Anyway, games like that are awesome, but I have neither the time nor the talent to run telemetry on my car until it can four-wheel drift perfectly around every corner. So, is there such a game, or games? Ones that do offer a modicum of realism (real cars, real tracks, not outrunning the cops in downtown LA), but something I could race with a cheap pad, or even my keyboard? Thanks in advance :)

i've been looking for this on pc too whitout much succes. you might want to give GRID a go if you haven't already but that left me disappointed personally in terms of realism and feel.

iRacing but they have a monthly fee and you have to buy tracks and cars with real money. or wait for rfactor 2 or GTR3