View Eddie Hill
Eddie Hill
By Gregg Leary
Category:Auto Racing
DOB: 3-6-36 (71)
Longview, TX
Wife: Ercie
Years as pro: 43
Career Best ET: 4.520
Career Best MPH: 323.74…both 10-2-99 Topeka, Kansas
Career National Event Wins: 16 (Top Fuel Dragster)
At age 60 the oldest driver to win an NHRA National event (1996 Denver)
FIRST IN THE 4’s…4.99 on 4-9-88 in Ennis, Texas in a Top Fuel Dragster
In 1983 he set the fastest quarter mile in history…ON THE WATER…5.16 seconds…faster than Top Fuel dragsters were running on asphalt
1982..ran 229 MPH in a drag boat…In Guinness Book for 11 years as fastest propeller-driven boat.
First racer to concurrently hold land and water speed records.
1984: crashed at 217 MPH in his drag boat. Took a year to recover. Returned to Top Fuel Dragsters on asphalt…because they were safer.
1989: Survived finish line blowover at 236 MPH at Pomona.
1993: Oldest driver to win NHRA Top Fuel Championship (57)…6 wins
Joined “300 MPH Club” at Topeka, Kansas
Finished 9th of 50 drivers in IRP’s “Fast Masters” in Jaguar
1999…two huge engine block explosions injured Eddie and caused him to retire…after more than 460 four-second runs
2000: Inducted into Drag Racing Hall of Fame
2002: Inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame along with Dale Earnhardt, Gaston Chevrolet, Fred Offenhauser and Eddie Lawson.
Eddie is now taking flying lessons in full-size airplanes and also flies radio-controlled airplanes.
Ercie went back to college where she had a 4.0 average.
Eddie and Ercie met at a Drag Boat race and were married on Valentine’s Day in 1984.
They have a 400 acre horse and cattle ranch….and lots of dogs, cats and two pythons.
They own Eddie Hill’s Fun Cycles in Wichita Falls, Texas.