^^crashing right way into sidewalls while taking corners is also a great way to win,not to mention crashing into others to throw them off track,but that won't be so good would it?
most probably you would use the same car so it would help if you know the nuances of the track better than others.if you use manual gears knowing the right level of gear before taking a turn would help you a lot,if automatic then the right speed and the angle at which you go in the corner.
some corners are easier to go from the inside while for others the speed penalty is so great that you would be better off conceding the inside line.knowing shortcuts may help if such a track is used,some of them can get you in a unbeatable lead and you would have to drive like a total moron to lose from there.
and lastly nitrous is very important,hand braking to turn into a corner and then using the nitrous to align the car to the track(lol can't explain properly) can make you get away with virtually every corner and turn and if its executed properly,it can leave others way behind.