Baconin Borzacchini

Baconin Borzacchini (28 September 1898 – 10 September 1933) was an Italian Grand Prix motor racing driver often referred to as Mario Umberto Borzacchini.

Born Baconino Francesco Domenico Borzacchini in Terni in the Umbria region of Italy, at age 14 he began working in a garage, training as a repairman. After service in the army during World War I, he began racing motorcycles before turning to automobile competitions in 1926. During the next two years he won six Italian hillclimbing events driving a Salmson. He earned victories at three significant Italian races including the Etna Cup at Catania and the 1100cc class at the 1926 and 1927 Targa Florio where he beat fellow up-and-comer Luigi Fagioli. Borzacchini's success ultimately led to an offer to join the Maserati racing team and driving for them, he won the 1927 Terni-Passo della Somma and the Coppa della Collina Pistoiese." In 1928 he drove a Maserati to first place in the Coppa Gallenga hillclimb at Rocca di Papa.

On 28 September 1929, Baconin Borzacchini set a new flying 10-kilometre (6.2 mi) land speed record of 246.069 km/h (152.900 mph) in a Maserati V4. That same year, he finished second in the Circuito di Alessandria and in the Tripoli Grand Prix.

In 1930, under the fascist regime of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, Borzacchini was pressured into racing under the Italian name, Mario Umberto, rather than his birth name of Baconin, which was based on that of Russian revolutionary anarchist, Mikhail Bakunin, who his parents had admired.

Maserati entered the 1930 Indianapolis 500. Designed with a swept-back aerodynamic front end, a radical innovation unheard of at the time but commonplace today, it was felt that Borzacchini had a good chance to capture the prestigious American event. Unfortunately, magneto problems forced him out of the race after just three laps. However, Borzacchini and his Maserati claimed victory at the 1930 Tripoli Grand Prix and won another hillclimbing event, the Pontedecimo-Giovi at Genoa.

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