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VOLUME 56 ISSUE 23 JUNE 11, 2019 P113 Alzina overcame those obstacles to earn a perfect score, riding an Indian sidecar outfit. Bennett, rid- ing an Excelsior, and Baker, on a factory-backed Indian, were on solo machines. Alzina's 1919 endurance victory was his most significant achieve- ment as a competitor, and it made him a popular name by way of win ads in motorcycle maga- zines across the country. A few years before his big race win, Alzina opened his own deal- ership, selling Reading-Standard and Cleveland motorcycles. That enterprise was short-lived due to the onset of World War I. After closing his shop, Alzina again worked as sales manager for San Francisco's Indian distributor. In 1922, Alzina saw a golden oppor- tunity across the Bay in Oakland and bought out the dealership of ES Rose. Alzina turned the struggling franchise into a very successful business. Alzina's business expertise was recognized by Indian. In 1925, the company assigned him all of Northern California's dis- tribution. The next year, he was given the entire state, and by 1927, his terri- tory expanded to include Nevada, Arizona and Washington. By 1948, Indian sales in Alzina's region represented over 20 percent of Indian's total worldwide volume. At the age of 54, he moved on to another business venture and bought the western states distribution rights for BSA mo- torcycles from Alf "Rich" Child in 1949. The growth in motorcycling over the next 15 years was ex- plosive. Under Alzina's direction, BSA's western distribution went from three dealerships to 265 dealers in 20 states. The move to BSA helped keep him in the motorcycle business even after his beloved Indian failed in the mid-1950s. Alzina was an enthusiastic supporter of racing. Many racing stars such as Ed Kretz, Gene Thiessen, Al Gunter, Dick Mann, Kenny Eggers and Sammy Tan- ner credited Alzina for being a big part of their success. Several of those riders worked in Alzina's shop and were allowed gener- ous time away to travel to races. At one point, Alzina also served as Vice President of the AMA. Famous for his practical jokes, Alzina once walked a horse through a plush New York hotel lobby, pushing the horse into an elevator and taking him up to a room where a party was go- ing on. He also enjoyed marking "Private & Confidential" on the address side of postcards so that everyone would be sure to read the card. Alzina retired in 1965. He and his wife, Lillian, enjoyed traveling together, visiting friends across the country during their retire- ment years. He was given an Award of Merit from the AMA on behalf of its 70,000 members upon his retirement. He was once asked by a jour- nalist if he viewed motorcycling as more business or pleasure. "Motorcycles are a business," he said. "But now, as you're ask- ing questions, and I look back over the years, I call it 40 years of fun." Alzina died on July 21, 1970, at the age of 75. He will al- ways be remembered as a man of integrity, honesty, loyalty, foresight, common sense and hard work. He was also one of Indian's most passionate sup- porters. He was inducted into the first class of the AMA Motor- cycle Hall of Fame in 1998. CN Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives Hap Alzina with Ed Kretz and other Indian riders and mechanics after Kretz won the Southern California TT Championship in 1939.