born march retired american drag won numerous drag racing championships land water hill run second range seconds earned nickname father nicknames include thrill hill fast eddie set record largest improvement time drove quarter mile seconds break previous second record hill raced open competitions fuel events retired opening motorcycle shop returned years later race started racing drag boats attending drag boat event won championships major boat drag racing bodies hill set lowest wet time record second run lower land drag racing record seconds quit water drag racing suffered broken bones crash arizona returned land drag racing initially unsuccessful hill set time speed record event person hold land water speed records simultaneously hill oldest fuel champion hill retired won national season point championships land water won trophies drag events land water careers racing career year old hill won championship louisiana graduating graduated college industrial technology degree land drag racing hill entered drag race flying fish lodge texas hill drove home built hot rod track won event hot rod model frame engine built second parts employer allowed working sales engineer texas set texas state low time year second pass following year hill won state championship second pass miles hour kilometers hour hill won national event hot gas race national championship event kansas hill earned appearance california race passes event set record mph hill quit job time drag later season set new gas low seconds set speed record class mph hill spent months designing seven months building home built called double dragon machine engines engine having ring gear clutch rear racing slick tires open competitions faster passes rear match competitions produce passes machine ripped starting line nationals indianapolis hill ran mph years mph pass years official mph speed record certified official backed different pass percent hill built fuel engine nearly completed jet engine powered outlawed aircraft engines built fuel powered engine fire couldn hill said locked brakes felt like needed turn wheel left reason didn hill managed steer straight course lined trees hill double dragon win matches finance fuel double dragon destroyed wreck months fire fire tapped finances resolve drag race motorcycle racing stopped racing opened motorcycle open oldest texas soon wanted race built motorcycle began racing year old raced numerous types motorcycle racing cross country drag racing hare scramble road racing short track hill participated race opening lap mph faster factory rider hill continued race won texas state road racing championship hill won trophies motorcycle career boat drag racing hill attended boat drag racing event austin texas thought drivers crazy saw driver thrown boat crash month later hill stopped motorcycle racing drag race boats despite able swim hit water boat went hill recalled power speed acceleration things missed quit drag racing began racing non blown winning event race set class speed set speed record mph switched fuel set record mph run won world fuel gas championship repeated champion series setting record mph run hill raced white blown fuel won races time hill captured championships points consecutive years fuel went mph event set world record quarter mile water drag california recorded broken years hill set speed records year mph mph mph hold records associations simultaneously won times including straight hill won world series drag boat racing championship series features races major drag boat racing bodies won races final rounds quit boat drag racing time seconds wet quarter mile arizona quicker second fuel record time water record lower land record hill quit boat racing october crash miles hour perfect run hill recalled started settle boat water took ring torn hand suffered seven broken bones concussion eye injuries spent days hospital fully recovered year return drag racing hill decided come drag racing purchased fuel car salvaged drag boat engine lake joined competitive fuel teams hill quit early season gotten tuning advice competitor helped car competitive races returning finally got round hill final round competition losing lost reverse chief auto parts nationals runner hill set record mph person hold land water quarter mile drag racing speed records simultaneously hill won thirteen national events beat final mac tools hill met final rounds season hill winning april set second time seconds international hot rod association hill run seven cylinders post run computer showed cylinder failed launch months later hill recorded second houston october hill set record oldest fuel champion won season championship year old twelfth championship hill won record tying seven national events events overall hill finished fuel points years hill won final events seven finals hill won set record oldest fuel event winner age retired eddie hill rule hill qualifying event car suffered severe vibration crossed finish line car went control completely destroyed hill broken toes shoulder injuries run fast hill fastest hill wanted race backup car round day accident rule car qualifying event body allow compete rule changed event allow race race day use car innovations driver heat rear tires driver use smaller tires hill introduced aerodynamic wing masks driver safety personal life hill married met boat drag racing event married valentine day roles career including team owner starting line navigator record pit crew member business manager marketing public relations written drag racing magazines eddie daughter named son named awards ranked 14th drivers inducted drag racing hall fame inducted don international drag racing hall fame hill inducted notified nomination said satisfying award posthumously way able enjoy honestly moment called told inducted people admired growing gives reason pause moment reflect maybe good accomplished way hill selected magazine international hot rod association magazine readers voted fuel driver year won championship
Eddie Hill