Is there a way to free drive?

[Alphaeus]

I bought the game thinking there was an option to just drive around freely on tracks without being tied down to a set path.

[Tipoff Giggots]

Some levels have manual steering disables, others have it enables, but click on the steering paths botton until you see a steering wheel, and your camera resets. Then dismount and either use the arrow keys or drag the wheel with your mouse.

[Alphaeus]

Thanks! I take it there's no way to adjust the speed while driving though?

[Tipoff Giggots]

Nope. Once you dismount, the speed it stopped at is what you stick with.
Unless you use turbo pads, and the speed bobs up and down when you dismount anyways, then it settles down.