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