Eddie is an old time racing buddy who I follwed from 1957 until his injury forced retirement a few years ago. He is a real racer. Eddie was the first gas powered dragster over 200 mph in the quarter. First top fuel car into the 4 second et range in 1988 at Texas Motorplex Won 15 National meets Oldest driver to win an NHRA National Championship when he won the Top Fuel National Championship at 60 years old. Only driver ever to hold both the quarter mile speed record on land and water at the same time. His new passion is R/C airplanes and is he really enjoying it. Ercie has horses and is really enjoying them......a lot!! I hope you enjoy the photos.....http://www.trnonline.com/eddiehill/images/navigation.gif 1. Eddie Hill.....the man 2. Purple Monster at Hobbs, NM in 1962. First gas powered dragster over 180 mph in quarter. 3. Purple Monster at Abilene, Tx 1962 4. Purple Monster at Abilene, Tx. Raced at Abilene airport and 4 slicks tore chunks out of the starting line asphalt before concrete was used. 5. Purple monster display shot 6. The Texan......Stretched wheelbase version of Purple Monster. Handled much better than the short coupled Monster. 7. The Texan again 8. The Texan ripping it in 1965 9. Texas Motorplex.....First car in the 4's 10. Eddie and Ercie celebrating National championship win in 1993 11 Eddie in final NHRA tour car. 12. Eddie at Ennis, Tx. Texas Motorplex in career ending engine explosion. Raced one more time and engine let go again in Houston. Fractured a disc in his back as the force of the explosion actually bent the back of the double tube rollcage forward. Nothing from the engine was left in the frame. Pistons, supercharger heads with headers attached, magnetos and everything else were scattered the full length of the track. Took about 30 minutes to cleart he track of debris and get the oil off. Worst engine explosion I have ever seen. Several other drivers using this same engine block suffered like explosions and it was found to be a casting problem in the engine block itself and not a problem caused by my family member, Gary Prater, his engine builder, as first suspected. Gary built engines for him for over ten years and traveled with him so those who know him well knew that Gary did not cause it. 13. Eddie's latest passion. R/C airplanes 14. Eddie having a go at it. BTW, the plane did not crash........ 15. Eddie doing a VDO instrument testimonial. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Try again Much better Eddie says that this car handled like trying to hold on to the rear of a rattlesnake. It just kept trying to come around and bite him.......Stretching the wheelbase on the Texan helped solve the problem. Also, notice that there is absolutely no front suspension on this car. Straight front axle...... And how about the upholstery job in the cockpit. Looks more like a seat on an airliner.... This car would boil the four slicks tremendously on the old surface tracks we had back then, mostly airstrips with asphalt surfaces. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sort of like F1 drivers back in the day. Get in, go as fast as you can and do not crash! I don't see much safety in your photos, must not have been a "union gig".
Those guys had some cahones to pilot those wacky, insanely powered machines down the track. You have got to admire anyone willing to try out unproven concepts in real world applications like that. Making it up as you go. Thanks so much for taking the time to share the images. regards ken
Great racer. He used to have a shop next to my church in Wichita Falls years ago. I always loved passing it on the way to church and looking over to see if I could see any cool cars around....
I sat next to him on a flight out of DFW the day after he went <4 seconds. He was a really mellow and nice guy. He was so calm about the car drifting in a cross wind during that run. He said it moved about 8'. To me, top fuel is insane.
He is a very cool guy. Now Ercie,,,,,that is a whole other ballgame. She is cool but really tries to protect his privacy and sometimes can be a little annoying about it.....;>)
