88R6386 TBO-D
By: Springer S.R. No. 71
R E S O L U T I O N
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 88th Texas 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 by the Texas
Senate.