After racing some of these guys a few times, you learn that being out in front at the start is not always that a good a place to be.
It's rare that you can get away without getting hit and falling back,depending where you are sitting on the starting grid [and who you are racing against],sometimes it's better to miss the start slightly and be the shooter rather than the target.
You a gambling that the front runner doesn't pick up a turbo on the first or second weapons pad [they usually don't]