1953 Staride Norton F3

The Staride Formula 3 cars were designed and built in 1953 by Mike Erskine of Southampton, England. Only a few cars were built, some with Manx Norton and some with J.A.P. speedway engines. This car was built for Eric Fenning with a long-stroke Manx Norton. Eric raced it with success for two or three years and then his son John began racing and quickly began winning races.

John Streets bought the car in 1959 and brought it to California with plans to race in SCCA events. The car underwent further development to create a smaller frontal area, improved safety features, and still retains its very low silhouette. When Formula 3 cars became outdated, the car was retired in 1962. It was refurbished for the inaugural running of the Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca in 1974 and has continued to race regularly. In 1994 the Staride was again restored, this time by Eric Noyes and re-bodied by John Buddenbaum, closer to the original style. For the 1997 Monterey Historics, the original Manx Norton engine was installed, having been completely rebuilt by Ken MacIntosh in New Zealand.