Land speed racer

“Al Teague has achieved more speed with fewer resources,” wrote Car and Driver’s Don Sherman,” than any man or woman in racing.” Elwin Teague’s self-made “Spirit of ‘76” streamliner is the only single-engine two-wheel-drive vehicle to exceed 400 mph, doing so for the first time in 1990. A year later, Teague ran 425.230 mph in the measured mile and a two-way average of 409.986 to establish a new FIA wheel-driven land speed record. His 432-mph trap speed was the fastest any wheel-driven vehicle had gone. Born in East LA, Teague started drag racing in the ‘50s with older brother Harvey. He made his first Bonneville and El Mirage runs in 1968 after service in Vietnam. His first record at the Dry Lakes was 205 mph in the blown Hemi-powered Sadd, Teague & Bentley Bonneville “Red Roadster.” He began construction of Spirit of ’76 in 1975, finishing it the following year. It started as an open-wheel lakester, then was converted to a streamliner in search of even higher speeds and the wheel-driven record.