SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 71
WHEREAS, Residents of Wichita Falls are gathering on
October 12, 2022, to pay tribute to hometown hero and motorsports
superstar Eddie Hill; and
WHEREAS, A champion racer on land and water, Eddie Hill has
been named the 2021 Legend of North Texas by the Museum of North
Texas History; in conjunction with that honor, Eddie Hill Day is
being celebrated to recognize his racing legacy and his
contributions to the Wichita Falls community; and
WHEREAS, Born in Longview on March 6, 1936, Mr. Hill
received his first racing trophy at age 11; he began building
dragster cars a few years later and continued to compete while
attending Texas A&M University; after earning his bachelor's
degree, he won the American Hot Rod Association championship in
1959 and set several records over the course of the following
years, including one for breaking the 200-mile-per-hour barrier
in a gas-powered car; he is credited with numerous racing
innovations during this period, including introducing front
wings to dragsters and inventing the tire-smoking burnout, which
became standard practice for top fuel cars; and
WHEREAS, In 1966, Mr. Hill opened Eddie Hill's Fun Cycles,
beginning a successful Wichita Falls business that has continued
for more than five and a half decades; to promote the dealership,
he started racing motorcycles, earning over 100 trophies in the
next eight years; he shifted his focus to boat racing in 1974 and
went on to hold the Guinness World Record for fastest speed in a
propeller-driven boat in addition to winning regional, national,
and world championships, including two titles in the World Series
of Dragboat Racing; and
WHEREAS, A severe crash concluded his boat racing career,
but this determined competitor opted to return to asphalt drag
racing in 1985 following a two-decade absence from the sport;
three years later, he became the first person to break the
five-second barrier, and in 1993, at age 57, he became the oldest
person to win the National Hot Rod Association top fuel world
championship; he retired from drag racing for good in 1999 and
was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame the
next year; he is also a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of
America and the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his life, Mr. Hill has drawn strength
from his religious faith; he also benefits from the love and
support of his wife of 37 years, Ercie, and his two children,
Sabrina and Dustin; and
WHEREAS, A world-renowned figure who has excelled in
multiple types of motorsports racing, Eddie Hill is a source of
great pride to the residents of Wichita Falls and the Lone Star
State, and he is indeed deserving of this prestigious honor; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
Legislature, hereby commemorate Eddie Hill Day in Wichita
Falls and commend Mr. Hill for his many achievements; and, be
it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be
prepared for Mr. Hill as an expression of high regard from the
Texas Senate.
Springer
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on January 24, 2023.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate