Verifying the integrity of the files isn't a bad idea, really; I hadn't thought of it, at least. I run the game on a Mac via Wineskin, though, and accessing Steam's features that way is pretty limited these days. Verifying file integrity is one of the things I can't do in that setup. Would a separate fresh install do essentially the same thing? I can try that if so, and if it doesn't work I may just have to stick to sprint races.