These were the tracks that allowed my ears to zero in and minimize tracking distortion. I don't think I could have done it without them. Everything else was a guess before I realized how to take advantage of the tones and their position on the record.Now that's a good use of test tracks. You didn't just blindly treat them as some "test" to be "passed". You used them to understand and optimize the behavior of the stylus in the groove, balancing one adjustment against another.
My "test records are useless" posts are indeed strongly worded. Too many vinyl-philes treat test tracks as gospels rather than as diagnostic tools. To improve our setup/adjustment skills we must abandon slavish devotions in favor of listening and thinking, as you have. My hyperbole is meant to inspire that fundamental change in attitude.
You understand this already so you're right to question such blanket statements. You've advanced beyond them.
Now try this: having heard and understood just how your cartridge behaves across those test tracks, try making the same fine adjustments while listening to music. Your results will probably differ from the test record. There's a high probability that (slightly) reducing VTF and anti-skating from what's optimal on the test tracks will result in better sound on most records.
With a little practice you may find yourself listening to music one day and saying, quite willy-nilly but with considerable confidence, "That VTF (or SRA, or anti-skating) needs to go down (or up) a skosh for this record". Then you too can retire the test record and post like some annoying curmudgeon!