NEW SERIES
Croz on the Z1, and the many big Kawasakis that launched his stellar career
PS Heroes: Graeme Crosby
1. GRAEME CROSBY
Graeme Crosby is in no doubt where he first saw a Kawasaki Z1 and there is even photographic evidence of that seminal moment for the Kiwi legend. “It was in the showroom of my employer, Laurie Summers, there I am in my Paisley shirt and orange slacks. It was the 1970s alright, specifically the end of 1973,” says Croz.
Having honed his competition skills on a variety of Kawasaki machinery including an A7 and H2s, it would be 1975 before he got the chance to strut his stuff on a Z1. A fuelling miscalculation on a well-worn Zed meant 12th place in the Australian Castrol 6-Hour at Amaroo Park, however that was followed by an emphatic first in the NZ Castrol 6-Hour at Manfeild Park. For the New Zealand race, Croz had a brand-new Zed from Laurie Summers and rode the event unpartnered.
In 1976, Croz “crossed the ditch” to live in Australia and went to work for ex-racer and Yoshimura importer, Ross Hannan. He had a new Z900 which he loaned to a pair of endurance racers who promptly totalled it. Hannan had one of the guilty parties, Ian Cork rebuild it using Yoshimura parts. Croz had a fairly full and successful season on the bike and also returned to NZ to win the 6-Hour, again solo, this time on a Z1000 supplied by Laurie Summers.
Ross Hannan sent the superbike over to New Zealand so that Croz could compete in the domestic Marlboro Series. Says Croz: “Superbikes had been gaining in popularity, attracting some top international riders. I went out on a limb, contesting the only four-stroke in the series. The overall results were not brilliant but I made a visual impact on the racing. On the streets of Wanganui where the straights were short and the corners bumpy, I had the best chance of holding off the competition. On ultra-fast tracks like Pukekohe I was relegated to scrapping with the minor placegetters.
In 1977 the wins came thick and fast on the Ross Hannen superbike and another Z1B. The Hannen bike was flown to Europe for the Bol’ d’Or at Le Mans, Croz entered with Tony Hatton, but the duo crashed out of contention. However t
