Nino Vaccarella facts for kids
Vaccarella in 1972
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| Born | 4 March 1933 Palermo, Sicily, Italy |
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| Died | 23 September 2021 (aged 88) Palermo, Sicily, Italy |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Italian |
| Active years | 1961-1962, 1965 |
| Teams | Ferrari, non-works De Tomaso, Lotus, Porsche |
| Entries | 5 (4 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1961 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1965 Italian Grand Prix |
Nino Vaccarella (born March 4, 1933 – died September 23, 2021) was a famous Italian sports car racing and Formula One driver. He was known as "The Professor" because he was also a schoolteacher in Palermo, Sicily.
Nino Vaccarella achieved great success in his racing career. He won the famous 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He also won the challenging Targa Florio race three times: in 1965, 1971, and 1975. The Targa Florio was a very special race held on public roads in Sicily.
Sports Car Racing Adventures
Nino Vaccarella was born in Sicily. He was especially good at the Targa Florio race. This race took place on winding public roads in Sicily. Other drivers said he knew these roads "like the back of his hand." His first Targa Florio was in 1959. He drove a Maserati and finished 10th.
In 1960, he teamed up with Umberto Maglioli for the Targa Florio. They drove a "birdcage" Maserati. They even took the lead for three laps. But their car broke down before the end. This race helped kickstart Vaccarella's amazing career.
He finished second at the 12 Hours of Sebring race in the United States. In 1963, he had a crash during practice at the Nurburgring 1000km race. He broke his arm and was covered in fuel. But he came back strong! A year later, he won that same race with Ludovico Scarfiotti.
Then came his biggest win in sports car racing. In 1964, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Jean Guichet. This was a huge achievement in the world of racing.
In 1965, Vaccarella won the Targa Florio with Lorenzo Bandini. They finished the race in just over 7 hours. The next year, in 1966, they led most of the Targa Florio. But their Ferrari went off the track and was too damaged to continue. Nino even saw a wall with "Viva Nino" written on it!
In 1967, Vaccarella and Umberto Maglioli drove a Ford GT-40. They finished fifth at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
The local newspaper in Sicily, Giornale Di Sicilia, once wrote: "Only Vaccarella Can Bring Off The Miracle." This was about his challenge to win the Targa Florio in an Alfa Romeo. He was racing against very fast Porsches. Many experts thought the Porsches would win easily. But Sicilians trusted Vaccarella's driving skills.
Nino also won the Mugello Grand Prix in July 1968. This race was on a street circuit, similar to the Targa Florio. In 1970, he won the Sebring race. This happened after Mario Andretti took over his car and drove incredibly well to win.
Vaccarella and Toine Hezemans won the Targa Florio again in 1971. They were more than a minute ahead of the second-place car. This win ended Porsche's winning streak in the Targa Florio.
Nino Vaccarella won the Targa Florio one last time in 1975. He drove an Alfa Romeo 33TT12. After this win, he decided to retire from racing. His son, Giovanni, was born in 1972. Nino wanted to be alive to raise his son. Racing was very dangerous back then.
Even though he was known as a Targa Florio expert, Vaccarella later said he preferred fast tracks. He liked circuits like Le Mans, Monza, and Spa. He said Le Mans was his favorite track. He didn't enjoy slower, twisty tracks as much.
Formula One Racing
In 1962, Enzo Ferrari himself chose Nino Vaccarella for the Ferrari Formula One team. Formula One is the highest class of international racing. He raced in five official World Championship Grand Prix races. His first race was on September 10, 1961. He did not score any championship points in these races. He also took part in several other Formula One races that were not part of the championship.
Images for kids
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Nino Vaccarella in 1972.
