The photo of the race in Art's post is far worse than any I've ever seen come off a car. It would be pure foolishness not to replace the race when replacing the bearing. Any grooves, scratches or severe discoloration is reason to replace the race.
A bad front bearing will often change intensity of sound if you swing the steering wheel right to left while on a smooth road.
It's important to pack the bearing properly. Smearing grease on the outside is not nearly good enough. Put a glob of grease in the palm of one hand - put two or three fingers of your other hand through the center of the bearing and then dip edge the section of bearing opposite your fingers into the edge of the glob with a pressing motion. Take small bites from the glob until you see grease squeezing through the rollers and exit at the top. Now move your grip to the next section and do the same till you've worked your way all around the bearing.
It is usually the inner bearing that takes the brunt of the load. Just popping out the outer bearing for greasing is not doing a thorough job. -- Dave