Oh No, I've Become One Of Those People! What About You?

Cockpit or hood camera for me. It's impossible for me to drive with the camera behind the car.

I'm with Drew, cockpit view all the way. It's not even a matter of visual preference for me, it's than even since PGR3 I've always performed better in cockpit

I've always preferred the behind-the-car camera in most racing games, for pretty much all the reasons given above - a better view of what's going on around you, a better sense of the size of your vehicle, and I like looking at the pretty cars. Having said that, when I picked up Forza 3 a few months ago, I tried the cockpit view out of curiosity, and since then I've worked my way through most of the season mode with that camera. I still prefer the behind-the-car, though. I guess I just enjoy the extra level of challenge and realism it's added to my Forza 3 experience.

 What kind of camera do you prefer in racing games and why? 

"Cockpit", or if that isn't available, "On the Hood".  The latter is not to be confused with "Front Bumper" which is usually way too low to the ground for my liking.  I almost never choose "Behind the Vehicle" because it generally causes me to over steer.   The way I look at it, I have the most real world experience with "Cockpit" driving, so it's easier for me to apply that knowledge to the game when in that format.  Also, I seem to have better spatial awareness when in the cockpit than I do from any other camera position.