VOL. 52 ISSUE 34 AUGUST 25, 2015 P101
ees. Leonard Andres, Jack
Cottrell, Ernie Holbrook and
Phil Cancilla were but a few of
those who at one time worked
for Jones and later went on to
open their own dealerships.
One of the most popular Bay
Area events from the 1930s
to the late 1950s was the Hap
Jones birthday party. What
started out as a "birthday party"
for the Hap Jones Company,
attended by employees and
friends, developed into an an-
nual event eagerly anticipated
by motorcyclists from all parts
of California. The birthday party celebrations
included a field meet with coveted trophies for the
winners.
Within his dealership, Jones operated a region-
al wholesale accessories company. After World
War II, he purchased huge stocks of government
surplus Harley-Davidson and Indian parts and his
wholesale business expanded to a national scale.
Jones got his start in competition in 1927.
That year he won the novice class of the popular
San Francisco Motorcycle Club Enduro. Jones
became one of the leading enduro and field
meet riders on the West Coast. With the growing
popularity of Class C (production bike) racing in
the mid-1930s, Jones became known for his skills
on the big street bikes, especially on TT courses
where he was skilled at taking tight corners and
jumps at high rates of speed.
After winning numerous regional TT events,
Jones broke through to win the biggest race of his
career in 1936. On June 7, on a little TT course
near Waco, Texas, Jones beat a talented field of
national riders to win the AMA National TT Cham-
pionship for 80-cubic-inch motors. It would prove
to be the biggest win of his racing career. Jones
earned several more podium finishes at national
TT races before retiring from racing in 1938 to
concentrate on his growing busi-
nesses.
Legend has it that Jones was
the first civilian motorcyclist (po-
lice escort riders were likely the
first on two wheels to ride across
the Golden Gate Bridge when
it opened in 1937. He ended up
having to push his bike through
the crowd of pedestrians to get
across the bridge. During the
Golden Gate Bridge's 50th an-
niversary celebration in 1986,
bridge officials invited Hap Jones
to repeat that historic ride which
he did along with several mem-
bers of the San Francisco Motorcycle Club on
vintage motorcycles.
Jones' love of racing continued long after he
retired from competition. Hap Jones Distributing
sponsored races and racers. Perhaps the most
famous racer backed by Jones was the legend-
ary Dick Mann. During the 1960s and '70s,
Mann helped makes Jones' company popular
among racing fans across the nation; Mann's
racing leathers prominently featuring the logo of
his longtime primary sponsor.
Jones sold his retail dealership by 1959 to
concentrate on his distributing company, which
became one of the largest in the country. His
motorcycle Blue Book, which gave pricing
guidelines for used motorcycles, was a staple
in the industry. His company also published an
annual calendar that featured historic racing
photos from Jones' collection. Jones was active
in the San Francisco Motorcycle Club, serving
as president on two different occasions.
Jones died in 1989. He was inducted into the
Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998. CN
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