Street racing originated on public thoroughfares in the 1800s, and many of the sport's premier contests still unfold on temporary courses with mixed appeal. The Monaco Grand Prix captures Formula One's elegance yet often delivers little excitement for spectators. In contrast, the 24 Hours of Le Mans tests human and mechanical limits across rural French roads. This weekend NASCAR visits a naval installation near San Diego.

Now we ask readers to name their ideal street race site. Although temporary circuits define current F1 events, numerous cities have hosted championship rounds. Imola has staged Italy's second grand prix repeatedly, yet Rome explored its own event around 2010. The capital's mayor at the time suggested a layout in the EUR business zone, but organizers rejected the plan, favoring emerging markets beyond Europe. Formula E later used the area.

A Formula One event beside the Unisphere

Though personal preference may color my view as a lifelong New Yorker, the metropolis offers my vision of an ultimate street venue. Formula One nearly reached the nation's largest city in the early 1980s when commercial chief Bernie Ecclestone eyed a course encircling the Twin Towers downtown. City officials balked at closing the Financial District, home then to roughly 50,000 workers at the World Trade Center.

Officials countered with Flushing Meadows Park in Queens. The expansive green space staged world's fairs in 1939 and 1964, later gaining a sports complex that includes Shea Stadium for the Mets and the USTA National Tennis Center, longtime home of the US Open. Racing beneath the Unisphere would create an unforgettable scene.

A temporary track could loop around Meadow Lake much like the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. Long sweeping straights would suit drivers such as Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, while the park's highway access between LaGuardia and JFK plus subway and rail links would simplify logistics. Ecclestone, however, insisted on the downtown site and abandoned the project when that option vanished.

In short, share your own dream street race locations below.