By: Springer S.R. No. 10
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
SENATE RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, Residents of Wichita Falls are gathering on
  October 6, 2021, 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 87th Texas Legislature,
  3rd Called Session, 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 Eddie Hill as an expression of high regard by the
  Texas Senate.