Yes, I have tried both controllers. It can take some adjustments but I found gamepad control quite good - and this is coming from someone that does not game much with a gamepad. I believe I used control set #2 but adjusted to my taste. I'm not at home so I can't comment on the exact options and settings. The controls are very configurable, and what works for one will not necessarily work for another.I was looking on the Steam page and it says it has Partial Controller Support.
Can you race with a controller like an Xbox 360/One controller or another?