8th 1955 F1 Championship - 08 - Cotati Speedway

[Xug]

8th 1955 F1 Championship



Circuito / Track: Cotati Airfield

Día de carrera / Race date: 3 de abril de 2025 / April 3rd 2025

Vueltas / Laps: 23

Área de boxes para instalaciones y actualizaciones gráficas para los circuitos de la temporada / Install and update files for this season's tracks
Descarga de la pista en Track Database / Track Database download
Información de la pista en GPL Weekly / Track info page on GPL Weekly




Normas / Rules

• Coche libre / Free car choice
  Modo pro / Pro mode
  30 minutos de calificación y, a continuación, carrera de 40-45 minutos / 30 min qualification and 40-45 minutes race
  En modo pro no es posible reiniciar / Under pro mode rules there is no [shift]+[r]
  Prohibido adelantar bajo bandera amarilla / Overtaking is not allowed under yellow flags

Sesiones de entrenamientos / Practice sessions [30 min Q + 15 min short training race]

• miércoles / Wednesday
  • FP1 - 21.30 h
    FP2 - 22.15 h
    FP3 - 23.00 h
  jueves / Thursday
  • FP4 - 21.00 h

Carrera / Race

21.55 h Encuentro en el iGOR / VROC (sala PDLR, sin contraseña), bienvenida y contraseña para entrar en el servidor / Racers meet at iGOR / VROC (chatroom: PDLR, no password), welcome and password for the race server
22.00 h - 22.30 h Calificación de 30 min / Qualification, 30 min
22.30 h - 23.15 h Carrera en modo pro larga, de 40 min a 45 min / Race: pro long mode, about 40-45 minutes

(Todas las horas son CET o, del 31 de marzo al 27 de octubre, CEST. / All times are CET or, from March 30st to October 26th, CEST)

[Paul_S]

New track for me.

What lap times are you guys doing in the 55 mod ?

[Mezcua]

Gaiz 1:41.16 and 1:45.01 myself

Starting free practice sessions in minutes

[quico]

Installation session 1 45 21 Vanwall

[Mezcua]

Quico

Times so far

Código: Seleccionar todo

1 	G. Lopez55 	FER 	1:40.71
2 	P. Skingley55 	LAN 	1:41.06
3 	tagomago55 	MAS 	1:44.11
 	tagomago55 	MER 	1:44.18
 	tagomago55 	CON 	1:45.07
 	tagomago55 	VAN 	1:45.15
4	Quico 		VAN 	1:45.21
 	tagomago55 	LAN 	1:45.36 
 	tagomago55 	GOR 	1:47.23
5 	N. Xug 		MER 	1:48.60 

[Mezcua]

Posición de la pole corregida a la izquierda según el original de la pista (me equivoqué al hacer la parrilla segura)
Poleman's position corrected to the left according to the original track (I made a mistake when making the safe grid)

[Mezcua]

Times so far

Código: Seleccionar todo

1 	G. Lopez55 	FER 	1:40.71
2 	P. Skingley55 	LAN 	1:41.06
3 	tagomago55 	MAS 	1:44.11
 	tagomago55 	LAN 	1:44.18
 	tagomago55 	MER 	1:44.18
 	tagomago55 	CON 	1:45.07
 	tagomago55 	VAN 	1:45.15
4	Quico 		VAN 	1:45.21
  	tagomago55 	GOR 	1:47.23
5 	N. Xug 		MER 	1:48.60 

Good luck all for the race

[Mezcua]

Great race at Cotati

A pity Enrique and Clive could not come

Great that Quico was there



Grats Paul for a great win Gaiz and Tago

Thx all for racing

[Doni Yourth]

Drove my heart out trying to reel in Tago but he was having none it. CURSES! He was just on a mission to spoil my day with admirable speed and consistency. Couldn't force an error from him to save my soul. Great drive, Tago!

The errors came from my side with a daft move on Lap04 when I scanned my dashboard after crossing the SFline to look up and find that I was shooting past my usual braking point for T1. Went in too hot, slid sideways to scrub off some speed but it wasn't enough and I clipped the haybales on the outfield. Managed to pull away without getting stuck but lost upwards of four seconds to Tago. Spent the balance of the race wringing the snot out of the Maser in my efforts to close. Got close in the late laps but was a little hasty gassing it up coming off a corner with barely a kilometer to go and spun off. Sigh...

Up front, there was an epic battle between Gaizka and Paul for the win. Rarely more than a second apart, Paul ultimately prevailed with another fine win, his second in a row. Well done, chaps!

Kudos to Xuggy for using the Streamline Merc. A car way, way too massive for this circuit where braking power is at a premium. Very brave. Great to see Quico back in the wars with a good finish in P5.

Even with my errors, the drive was worth a 4/5 score.

[Paul_S]

Thanks all for racing.

This was a new track for me and looking at the map I though it would be like Westwood where I ran out of brakes quickly, but it was more like VIR having areas to cool and manage the brakes.

As usual Gaizka was faster in training and qualification but he did not show that pace consistently in the race.
I had a couple of wobble laps but no major mistakes.

I was able to pass on lap 3 and to my surprise I held onto the lead from there.
I actually though Gaizka must be having engine trouble or something because he did not challenge but apparently not.

So another unexpected win.

Well done Gaizka and Tago for the podiums and to all that finished.

Thanks for hosting and organising

See you next race.


Gracias a todos por la carrera.

Este circuito era nuevo para mí y, al ver el mapa, pensé que sería como Westwood, donde me quedé sin frenos rápidamente, pero era más como VIR, con zonas para enfriar y gestionar los frenos.

Como de costumbre, Gaizka fue más rápido en los entrenamientos y la clasificación, pero no mostró ese ritmo de forma consistente en carrera.
Tuve un par de vueltas con problemas, pero no cometí errores importantes.

Logré adelantar en la tercera vuelta y, para mi sorpresa, mantuve el liderato desde entonces.
De hecho, pensé que Gaizka debía tener problemas de motor o algo así, porque no me atacó, pero al parecer no.

Otra victoria inesperada.

¡Bien hecho, Gaizka y Tago, por los podios y por todos los que terminaron!

Gracias por la organización.

Nos vemos en la próxima carrera.

[Mezcua]

Un gustazo ver a Quico en pista

Una pena las ausencias de Clive y Enrique ... cualquiera de ellos en pista habrían cambiado las opciones de batalla en pista para mi

Conseguí mi 43 en la clasificación y ya en la salida tuve que afianzar mi posición porque el movimiento de Doni para adelantarme fue muy bueno

Luego un breve error de Doni en la frenada de T1 me dio un margen de 4 segundos y me concentré en rodar sin calentar los frenos

Yo sabía que la progresión de Doni con el transcurso de las vueltas sería buena o muy buena y que esa distancia se enjuagaría quedando en nada y asi fué

Sin embargo conseguí un rendimiento muy bueno en las últimas vueltas que me permitieron mantener la posición

La distancia final de 8 segundos es irreal ... Doni venia empujando a menos de 1 segundo en ultima vuelta buscando adelantarme

Que gran carrera Doni .. un disfrute pelear contigo como siempre

Thx all for racing

Nice to see Quico on track

Shame about Clive and Enrique's absence.... either of them on track would have changed the track battle options for me

I got my 43 in qualifying and already at the start I had to consolidate my position because Doni's move to overtake me was very good

Then a brief mistake by Doni in the braking of T1 gave me a 4 second margin and I concentrated on running without warming up the brakes

I knew that Doni's progression as the laps went by would be good or very good and that this gap would be wiped out to nothing and so it was

However I got a very good performance in the last laps that allowed me to keep the position

The final gap of 8 seconds is unrealistic . .. Doni was pushing less than 1 second on the last lap looking to overtake me

What a great race Doni ... a pleasure to fight with you as always

Thx all for racing

[Mezcua]

La liga online oAo está corriendo en Cotati y aporta una información interesante sobre la pista

S28 R4 - Cotati - Post de Pepe_Higdon » 23 de Marzo de 2025

Hollywood y los automóviles rápidos han crecido juntos. Los Keystone Cops empezaron a perseguirse en círculos en 1912 y en 1941 ya teníamos a Humphrey Bogart intentando desesperadamente eludir a la policía en una huida salvaje por una carretera sin salida en las montañas de Sierra Nevada, en California. Es probable que el número de películas que contienen estos dramas de alta velocidad y de infarto supere el número de estrellas en el firmamento. Pero en 1968, con el estreno de Bullitt, todas las persecuciones automovilísticas filmadas hasta entonces se convirtieron en un juego de niños y quedaron obsoletas.

¿Hay alguien aquí que no haya visto la inolvidable persecución entre el Ford Mustang y el Dodge Charger que comienza en las accidentadas calles de San Francisco y termina diez minutos después en un espectacular y ardiente choque en la carretera U.S. 101 al sur de la ciudad? Por supuesto que no. Pero parte de la historia de la película tuvo lugar en el Cotati Raceway, cuando Steve McQueen (el poli bueno Frank Bullitt) y el doble de acción Bill Hickman (el malo tras el volante del Charger) alquilaron la pista para practicar algunos de los movimientos que más tarde emplearían en la película real. Otras películas, sobre todo The French Connection, To Live and Die in L.A. y algunas de las películas de Mad Max, pueden hacer que te preguntes cómo pudieron producirse sin matar a nadie, pero sea cual sea la forma que adopte finalmente cualquier película de persecuciones, inevitablemente se levantará sobre los hombros de Bullitt.

Por cierto, la carpeta del programa de la pista que se muestra para la carrera de esta semana es de Cotati Speedway, no de Raceway. El Speedway era una pista de madera de 1.25 millas, con una inclinacion de 41.5 grados, y en uso solo para carreras de autos desde 1921 hasta finales de 1922. La pista empezó a caducar con la apertura de Sears Point en 1969 y en 1972 se vendió a promotores inmobiliarios.

The oAo online league is running in Cotati and provides some interesting information about the track

S28 R4 - Cotati - Post by Pepe_Higdon » Sun Mar 23, 2025 6:25 pm

Hollywood and fast automobiles have grown up together. The Keystone Cops began chasing themselves in circles in 1912 and by 1941 we had Humphrey Bogart desperately trying to elude police in a wild flight up a dead-end highway in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. The films containing such high-speed, heart-stopping dramatics probably exceed the number of stars in the sky. But in 1968 with the premiere of Bullitt, every car pursuit previously filmed was rendered child's play and obsolete.

Is there anyone here who has not seen the unforgettable chase between the Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger beginning in the hilly streets of San Francisco and terminating ten minutes later in a spectacular, fiery crash on U.S. 101 south of the city? Of course not. But part of the movie's history occurred at the Cotati Raceway, when Steve McQueen (the good cop Frank Bullitt) and stunt driver Bill Hickman (the bad guy behind the Charger steering wheel) rented the track to practice some of the moves they would later employ in the actual film. Other movies --- most notably The French Connection, To Live and Die in L.A., and some of the Mad Max movies --- might make you wonder how they could have been produced without killing someone, but whatever form any chase movie may finally take, it will inevitably be standing on Bullitt's shoulders.

By the way, the track program folder shown for this week's race is from the Cotati Speedway, not Raceway. The Speedway was a 1.25-mile wooden board track, banked in the turns at 41.5 degrees, and in use for auto races only from 1921 through the end of 1922. Our track began to expire with the opening of Sears Point in 1969 and by 1972 was sold to real estate developers.

[Mezcua]

Y luego en réplica a ese post Michael Lowery aporta links con información histórica de Cotati

Re: S28 R4 - Cotati - Post de Michael Lowery 24 de Marzo de 2025

Información histórica acerca del circuito de la pista aérea de Cotati:
http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/Cotati1.html
https://www.airfields-freeman.com/CA/Ai ... ti%2C%20CA
https://www.racingsportscars.com/track/Cotati.html

EDIT:
El enlace del medio incluye los siguientes pasajes:
En 1945 se produjeron varios fallos en la sub-base de las pistas debido a la humedad causada por las inundaciones. Documentos encontrados en los Archivos Nacionales indican que se solicitaron y aprobaron reparaciones, pero debido a la magnitud de los fallos estas costosas reparaciones nunca se completaron.
Tras el cese de las operaciones militares en Cotati en 1945, el aeródromo permaneció inactivo durante varios años.
...
El historiador de carreras de aceleración Bret Kepner dijo que las carreras de aceleración tuvieron lugar en las antiguas pistas de Cotati ya en 1952, y que las pistas estaban «llenas de baches».

El creador de la pista, Vertex, claramente hizo su investigación y acertó en la parte de «llenas de baches». Bien hecho, Vertex.
Michael

And then in reply to that post Michael Lowery provides links to historical information about Cotati.

Re: S28 R4 - Cotati - Post by Michael Lowery » Mon Mar 24, 2025 4:56 pm

Historical info about the Cotati airfield circuit:
http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/Cotati1.html
https://www.airfields-freeman.com/CA/Ai ... ti%2C%20CA
https://www.racingsportscars.com/track/Cotati.html

EDIT:
The middle link above includes the following passages:
In 1945 there were several sub-base runway failures due to flood-related moisture. Documents found in the National Archives indicated that repairs were requested & approved, but due to the extent of failures these costly repairs were never completed.
After the military ceased operations at Cotati in 1945 the airfield remained idle for several years.
...
Drag racing historian Bret Kepner said that drag racing occurred on the former Cotati runways as early as 1952, and that the runways were "bumpy as hell".

The track creator, Vertex, clearly did his research and got the "bumpy as hell" part right. Well done!

Michael

[Mezcua]

De esos links (gracias Michael)
From that links (thanks Michael)

The 1954 USGS topo map (courtesy of Kevin Walsh) labeled the airfield as "Cotati Naval Auxiliary Air Station (Inactive)".



A 1957 aerial photo depicting the former Cotati runways being reused as a racetrack (courtesy of Gary Horstkorta, via Dann Shively).



A 1963 photo of a Lotus & Maserati racing on the former Cotati runways.



The last aerial photograph which has been located which depicts the Cotati airfield before it was largely redeveloped was this 1965 USDA aerial photograph of the former Cotati airfield (courtesy of Dan Sebby).

[Doni Yourth]

Great post and photos, Tago. Thanks for posting.

One thing that I neglected to mention for our Cotati run was the fact that I was deathly afraid of blowing up the Maser as there were a number of places around the track where we encountered some hefty bumps. These were not easy to see with landmarks and every time I encountered one with the throttle well down, the revs would shoot to the Moon. Held my breath expecting the worst but lucked in.