Online Racing games idea

All the racing games I play online always use the concept of joining a lobby, you wait for it to fill up with players, you choose a car of the same class as the other players and then the race begins and ends and you return to the lobby. Playing this over and over again can get boring and old.

I have a new idea, have a server that can hold 8 players for example, have a track like the Nurburgring and just allow players to come in and out of the track, there will be no start or finish, the track will always be open, just like the real Nurburgring where you can come with your car and just ride the track while seeing other people with their cars on the track but there would be no official race between them and you are not worried about your car being underpowered compared to other players because your not actually racing them, it's more of a test of the car you used compared to whatever cars are being driven at the moment, it also helps you "showoff" the car you use and what upgrades you made to it.

This kind of racing online will allow more interesting experimenting with car modifications, for example, I just upgraded my Corvette Z06 with a new turbo and I want to check it out casually on an online server, so I join this server that's always open with the the Nurburgring and I drive around the track while other players drive with their cars and I get to see how it matches to a random car that I encounter in the straights in corners without actually racing them to the finish line, more of a on the spot little race on the straights and corners giving you the ability to see how powerful or weak your car is compared to the one you driving near you at the moment.

This idea came to me while playing Need for Speed Shift on my PC, I find myself spend most of the time in the game Lobby waiting for the race to begin while I would wish I could just come in and out of the track while players already on the track and I can just join them, maybe even add the possibility of the car park where you can tell a buddy of yours to meet you and then have the ability to initiate a countdown to begin your own private race on the track even while other players are racing in it, this will be a 1v1 race while you also encounter other cars doing their own rounds not related to you but still make a challenge because you have to over take them and they make your race interesting.

This idea should just be added to the game possibilities, I still enjoy the races where everyone begin together and there are number of laps you have to finish. Having more options to play online in racing games can make racing games last longer.

I have posted this topic in forums:
EA UK NFS SHIFT
Steam
Xfire