Motorstorm Pacific Rift - Unexplained winning times

I was playing on-line race ‘The Rift’ and although I was lying 2nd / 3rd (in hard fought race) – I couldn’t remember seeing the 1st place racer at all – I hadn’t crashed and was going pretty much full out and still didn’t see the 1st place racer, on the 2nd lap I was going through the valley with the puddles before you leap up at the bridge and the 1st racer had finished. Now I am not saying I am the best racer (far from it) but in a race of this sort you normally are within 5-20 seconds of the winner – In fact the winner was the only person who finished the race in what I regarded as a fast, hard fought race - I have now noticed this several times on other tracks.

Has anyone else noticed this recently? Has then been a clitch in the server? Has someone found a new cheat? (don’t see the pt in racing if you are going to cheat – only proves that you are good at cheating, not good at racing!). Has someone found a huge shortcut?

Appreciate any feedback.
Thanks

AgentMo

Thanks for reply - It may have been that I was ‘rubbish’, however I was on last night again (and I admit I was not at my best), but a lot of guys on the mics were complaining of severe lag (these were level 5 players)- they have noticed since the last PS3 Software update that motorstorm Pacific rift has been affected with lag.

sadly there is a massive shortcut on 'the rift' track which completely ruins it, earlier tonite i played this track on a ranked race, did a faultless race n because of the cheaters i didnt even finish before the 30 seconds wer up.

hey, been racing for months now. got most vehicles and golds. I ventured online for the first time the other night - great vibe to be racing real people, but I agree with the original post.. some pretty unfeasible track times are posted, and I have noticed that when some of the other bods crash, they re-materialise at speed, unbeleivable speed too! As said, Im pretty familiar with the tracks, but these guys online are not real. whats the trick? unlimited boost? immortality? I have explored the tracks at the slowest speed i can do - without the game re-setting and putting me back on the track, and I cant find any secret routes not already explored.
As posted before, - no point cheating, I just want to be able to compete with these online guys, whose scruples are maybe a bit suss!