I had a unique relationship with Cran in the 70s. How did it start? Rather fortuitively on my part. I was in my early 20s,living in Auckland, working as the Home light chainsaw salesman for Cable Price Corp. Since leaving school I had developed a passion for surfing that took me to all the remote surf breaks of the North Island. In the late 60s, I set about building a Beach Buggy to facilitate the quest for that perfect wave. In the early 70s,I had joined the Auckland Car Club and competed in Hill Clims, Grass Tracks and Gymkana events. My buggy was well suited to these type of events and I enjoyed some considerable success. One of my fellow competitors and friend John Power mentioned to me one day that he had a customer who was a car nut and was interested in entering one of his many vehicles in a circut racing series and had no interest in being its driver. John had suggested me to this person and a meeting was arranged at the mans office in Pukekohe. And so I shook hands with Cran Judge for the first time. The upshot was Cran tossing me the keys of a bran new Mazda Capella rotary that was parked outside his office and in that unassuming manner that characterised this man, he added, "take it down to the Pukekohe race track, give it a try out and tell me if its a goer in the GTX championship". That day started a 10 year relationship of Cran supplying numerous racing cars for me to race at no cost to myself. Wow! I was almost a professional driver over night... all through the generosity of this unassuming man,who wanted nothing from me other than to share in my success and yes we won a few races together. Cran Judge.. generous, unassuming, fun to be around. You gave me the chance to express my talent, to be successful You will be in my heart forever...