| Cotati Raceway
Gary Horstkorta contributed photos and
info on this storied northern California airfield course.
"Cotati was another northern California
race venue of the 1950s and 1960s. The track was located about 45
miles north of San Francisco and was an abandoned, WWII
Naval Airfield. The track layout of 1.9 miles, utilized three
of the four legs of the "X" shaped airfield for the majority of events."
(This aerial photo from 1957 contributed by Gary shows the course in its
standard layout.)
| "Occasionally, the track was lengthened
to 2.5 miles for enduro events, by using a portion of the fourth leg and
a paved service road."
(This map shows the fourth leg of the
airfield and the access road that combined to form the "long course".)
(This photo contributed by Dann Shively) |
 |
"Primary useage was for the annual Racing
Drivers Club (RDC) drivers school; the year end RDC Enduro; SF Region SCCA
club events; SCCA diviisional, regional and a few national events.
First race was in May, 1957 with Carroll Shelby the winner in a 4.9 Ferrari.
The track continued in use through much of the 1960s but saw dwindling
use when Sears Point opened in early 1969. It was finally closed
and purchased by a real estate developer in 1972."
Photo below contributed
by Robert Phillips (5-6-11)
"Unlike Vaca Valley Raceway, nothing
remains of Cotati today. The entire track area was plowed under and
replaced by a mobile home park, shopping center and industrial park.
One side note, Steve McQueen rented the
Cotati track during the filming of Bullitt in 1968 for practicing the chase
scene."
Gary Horstkorta
Occasionally, Cotati was referred to
as the "Golden Gate Race Circuit". Your webmaster asked Gary to clarify
this nomenclature. Here's his answer:
"The original Golden Gate Race Circuit
was the name give to the road races through Golden Gate Park in SF, 1952-54.
After Cotati opened in 1957, they used the name for various events, usually
the more important regional or national races. For SCCA club events,
it was simply Cotati."
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International Raceway
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Racecourses
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