The drag racing feature added to the quarter mile (400 metre) strip in WCUSA was a really cool addition, and it proved that quick races are viable and implementable into different maps. Italy has a large airport with a long runway that could also be used for drag racing, and if it isn't 400 metres long, it could be used for eighth mile (200 metre) races - which are also quite popular. It would be a bit of a challenge to incorporate it into the runway realistically, but a smaller version of the "Christmas tree" like the portable ones used in airport drag racing events would certainly be realistic. I know it's a small addition but it would be a pretty neat way of adding more quick races to the game!
We need more game modes launchable from free roam in general. Have them scattered across various maps so that there's more to do in free roam than just drive around aimlessly.
I'm really glad to see that the idea is gaining traction (pun intended!) Hopefully this can be incorporated into the game.