I also use Rice, and I'm having the same problem. In versions 1.4.x, if you enter the emulator and exit without loading a game first, the screen stays black and doesn't return to the homebrew menu.
By the way, Beetle Adventure Racing has graphical glitches with the sky and trees in versions 1.4.3 and 1.4.4, which can be fixed by using the RiceVideoLinux.ini file from version 1.4.2. In fact, I think version 1.4.4 works better with the RiceVideoLinux.ini file from version 1.4.2 than with its own—not just with Beetle but also with other games like Rayman 2. I’m leaving it that way, since it runs very smoothly with that combination. I always do a clean install, by the way.
Thank you very much—it works great.