This in from Dan Lowery:

Sad to announce the passing of Eugene “Gene” Thiessen.  He died July,12, 2021 at the age of 93.

His racing career from 1948 to 1958 was always aboard a BSA.  Hap Alzina along with Rich Childs were major supporters of Gene’s efforts for BSA in America.

DAYTONA – His first time on the beach was 1948 as an Amateur.  He placed 33^rd out of 119 starters.  This feat was accomplished with a punctured lung and broken ribs received from a crash earlier in the race.  Later that season he took the same iron head B-34 to the Langhorn 100 Miler and set a new amateur track record.  Subsequent Dayona outings resulted in 6 top 20 placings.  The best being 9^th in 1952 and 1953, 5^th in 1956 and a 3^rd in 1957.

ROSEMOND DRY LAKES – July 1951.  Fastest time for 40 inch (137.30 on Alcohol – 130.90 on pump gas).  Fastest time for 30.50 class 119.20 on pump gas

BONNEVILLE – September 1951.  New “Class A” record (143.54) on a Golden Flash followed by a new “Class C” record (123.69) on a Star Twin. 

DODGE CITY – 1952 2^nd on his Star Twin.  1953 6^th on his Star Twin

CATALINA – 1952 First place trophy for out of state riders

BAY MEADOWS – 1952 20 Mile National.  7^th (Star Twin).  1954 9^th.  1956 5^th.

PORTLAND MEADOWS – 1951 25 Mile Pacific Coast Championship.  1^st (new track record).  1954 1^st 5 Mile National.  This put Gene in 11^th place in the GNC point standing.

SAN JOSE MILE – 1951 (Inaugural Northwest 15 Mile National) 1^st place.  1957 5^th.  1958 10^th.

WILLOW SPRINGS – 1954 125Mile National 5^th.

CANADA – British Columbia. Half Mile Championship.

Most of Gene’s racing was on the West Coast due to the isolation of the Pacific Northwest and holding a fulltime job.  However, in 1952 Alzina sent him to race some East Coast tracks accompanied by Al Gunter.  Thiessen gained a 2^nd place in the Expert 5 Mile race in Syracuse and a 6^th place in the Langhorn 100 Mile National.

Gene retired from racing at the end of the 1958 season.  He continued in the motorcycle industry as a Yamaha dealer (dealer number 410) and Honda (#1561).

For more information click on the following link https://www.worldofspeed.org/archive-blog-1/2019/3/19/bsa-racer-gene-thiessen