After trying for quite some time to get this today, I finally got it! Here's what I did for the Criterion one:
Usually for every Burning Lap I go through the course and without using any boost (except when needed, like for jumps) I look for shortcuts and obstacles. I didn't do that this time, I thought I'd breeze through this...I was wrong! I thought I'd floor it with the boost for 100% of the time, don't do that! Although you may think that you're saving time by boosting through the course, you're actually not in some cases. Think of it this way, since this car tops around 200mph (from what I remember) without boosting, you're not losing too much speed if you don't boost. Adding 10mph to your top speed with the boost makes this car very hard to handle, and you will actually lose more speed in some situations then you would if you "coasted" through without the boost.
That's what I found with this car, and it saved me a lot of trouble that I went through earlier. Here's my little walkthrough on how to get this (to the best of my memory) with one second to spare:
Boost from the start and make the bridge on the left, stay on the left side of the road for a split second but becareful because there's a small truck that comes towards you. Keep boosting along the bridge and be mindful of another oncoming car, drift around this corner (there should be one incoming car) but aim to the left where you see the shortcut, hit the ramp and land. Don't worry about oncoming before the next shortcut, you may want to cut boost here or make a really sharp drift (if you do cut the boost, don't hit it again until you're straight and stable or you'll swerve off the road). I think you go down a tunnel, so drift through here while boosting, I hit a couple cars but don't focus on that, you'll have more than enough boost throughout this race (checking traffic slows you down). I killed the boost here (this really helped me, since before I would drift into guardrail after guardrail making my top speed during this around 140), careful for a couple of oncoming cars and drift nicely (drifting around these hairpins will be a lot easier if you don't boost and you'll go faster through them overall). Keep drifting, until you see a tunnel and then boost when you're just before it and drift through it.
Keep going until you're on a straightaway (boost, basically don't boost when you're in the s bends), careful there's a couple of oncoming and this turn comes up fast on you. Make the FIRST left so you should be going down a shortcut, there should be one bump and the second you go up a set of stairs. There are three outcomes from this:
1. If you're going fast enough and hit the jump just right, you'll land on top of the tunnel.
2. You'll go in the tunnel.
3. You'll crash in-between those two.
If you landed on top then you will be going very fast and this part confused me since there are so many ways to go. Stay to the left as it's too easy to crash if you make a sharp right, and try to find your exit to the right where you should see a set of stairs with the shortcut lights to the left and right of it, this will put you back on the main road (keep boosting) and you'll go into a turn.
If you landed below it and are going through the tunnel, quickly stay on the side that you landed on (the tunnel curves to the left slightly) because there are columns in the center of it. I believe I went to the left, but I was just basically looking for the shortcut with the stairs that launch you through the alleyway of some buildings (same as above, you may want to take a practice run to get the feel of the track).
If you crashed in bettween, you will know that you will either need to speed up or slow down a bit before hitting that ramp (stairs), just try again!
So you should becoming up to a left turn I believe drift through it, and when it turns into the hairpins, don't boost, drift, boost on the straights, etc. After that you should be going up a hill with a tunnel ahead of you. Easy enough right? Nope. There is traffic going perpindicular to you, so I stayed to the right as two cars were crossing in front of the entrance, I just missed them so be careful. Make your way to the left side of this tunnel, but watchout for oncoming, again. Hit the shortcut that brings you on the outside edge between a stone wall on your right and certain death on your left. Favor the right side a bit, but don't grind against it, it's not that narrow of a path.
I took the ramp and landed back in the tunnel, but you can aim to the left and try and land back on the path, but I kept crashing into a stone pillar. The rest should be easy, take the corner as fast as you can and hit the finish line.
I hope that helps somebody because that sure worked for me!
I could have cried!!
