STORY OF THE DAY: Borzacchini Misses Tunis by Two Tenths

Baconin Borzacchini finished second in the 1933 Tunis Grand Prix at Carthage, driving Scuderia Ferrari’s number 8 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza. He completed all 37 laps and crossed the line only two-tenths of a second behind teammate Tazio Nuvolari in the larger-engined number 28 Alfa. The extraordinarily close result gave Scuderia Ferrari a commanding one-two in this non-championship Grand Prix.

Borzacchini produced the race’s striking opening by moving rapidly through the field and leading at the end of the first lap despite starting well behind the front row. The two Ferrari drivers eventually emerged as the decisive contenders after mechanical trouble removed important rivals. Their contest remained unresolved until the finish, where Nuvolari held the smallest recorded advantage and Borzacchini’s 2.3-litre car was denied victory by scarcely more than its own length.

The 8C 2300 Monza was a short-wheelbase racing derivative of Vittorio Jano’s 8C family. Its 2,336cc supercharged straight-eight employed twin four-cylinder blocks and a central gear train driving the overhead camshafts and accessories. Light open bodywork and a strong, flexible engine made it adaptable to fast road circuits such as Carthage, although Borzacchini faced a power disadvantage against Nuvolari’s enlarged 2.6-litre version.

Mario Umberto Borzacchini, known as Baconin, was an Italian driver from Terni who had begun racing motorcycles before establishing himself in cars. A former land-speed-record holder and a leading Alfa Romeo competitor, he joined Scuderia Ferrari and frequently partnered or opposed Nuvolari in major events. His charge into the lead and near dead heat at Tunis captured both his speed and his importance within Ferrari’s formidable early driver line-up.