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Nino Vaccarella - Il preside volante

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Created on May 14, 2015

Text:

Thomas Suter

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

F. Mueller

Archivbild

Marc Le Beller

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

F. Mueller

Archivbild

Marc Le Beller

Archiv

Nino Vaccarella won the 1975 Targa Florio together with Arturo Merzario with this Alfa Romeo T33/TT/12 (photo was taken during the Ennstal-Classics 2008)

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Nino Vaccarella with the 2-liter 8-cylinder Porsche at the 1962 Targa Florio

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Nino Vaccarella in a modern Ferrari on the Targa Florio circuit

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Nino Vaccarella - Winner of the Targa Florio 1975 - Portrait during the Ennstal-Classics 2008

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Alfa Romeo Tipo 33TT3 (T33/3) at Le Mans 1972 - Nino Vaccarella in the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33TT3 of the Autodelta team

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Alfa Romeo Tipo 33TT3 (T33/3) (1972) at Le Mans with Nino Vaccarella

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Le Mans 1972 - The fourth-placed Alfa Romeo Tipo 33TT3 (T33/3) of Nino Vaccarella and Andrea de Adamich

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Alfa Romeo T33/TT/3 (1972) - Nino Vaccarella (I) and Toine Hezemans (NL) took third place with their Alfa Romeo T33 (12 Hours of Sebring 1972)

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The winners Ignazio Giunti (I), Nino Vaccarella (I) Mario Andretti (USA) won with a Ferrari 512 S (12 Hours of Sebring 1970)

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Summary

Nino Vacceralla is considered the master of the Targa Florio, but also excelled in many other sports car races, even though he was actually an amateur. Professionally, he was the principal of a secondary school. In an interview, the Sicilian recalls his successes, but also his less pleasant experiences.

This article contains the following chapters

Surviving in uncertain times
The joy of speed
Technical defects as a career brake
Family versus factory
Better principal than F1 driver

Estimated reading time: 4min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Even at over 80 years of age, he is still Sicily's racing monument, even though "his" race, the Targa Florio, has long since ceased to exist: I'm talking about Nino Vaccarella, first and foremost a Sicilian from Palermo, secondly a retired principal of a secondary school and only finally a racing driver. And it was precisely in this order that he kept it that way during his active period from 1956 to 1975 - he even turned down works driver status from renowned companies such as Ferrari and Alfa Romeo! How to describe a career that includes a Le Mans victory (1964), three victories at the Targa Florio (1965, 1970 and 1975), victories at the Nürburgring 1000 km (1964), the 12 Hours of Sebring (1970), numerous 1st places in hill climbs and smaller sports car races, all at a time when it was more than uncertain to survive all this?

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