Eddie Hill Ready to Run in 2000 Season

WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Veteran driver Eddie Hill, 63, oldest professional driver ever to win a world championship in drag racing, is back on his feet again and looking to return to the motorsport he loves.

Hill has been told by his physician, Dr. Stephen Ruyle, that he is cleared to return to racing. Originally injured Oct. 30, 1999, at Houston in a violent engine fire in his 300-mph top fuel dragster, Hill for a time was facing forced retirement by disability.

Last week he passed his X-ray and other medical tests and was cleared to race by Dr. Ruyle.

Meanwhile, his long time sponsor, Pennzoil, had informed him that his sponsorship, dating to 1988, was over at the end of the 1999 season. Hill was physically unable to complete the last race of the year due to the accident. Aside from his fall sponsorship contract, Hill's association with the oil company dated back almost to the beginning of his career in 1959, a total of 40 years.

"Now I'm looking for another marketing partner to help with the costs of racing," Hill said. "It's very late to start looking for a major sponsor, I realize, but I didn't have any options as a result of the Houston accident, not to mention an earlier one that was similar in Dallas last year. I'm hoping some company is looking for a big opportunity in NHRA drag racing. I know there is another championship in these old Texas bones.

"Honestly, I feel great, and I am only looking for the chance to prove once more that I am the world's oldest teenager."

Hill was declared third best on the best average elapsed time chart for 1999 with an average run of 4.631 seconds, topped only by 1998 champion Gary Scelzi (4,627) and 1999 champ Tony Schumacher (4.630). The chart was published by NHRA's trade journal, National Dragster, on Dec. 10.

If he finds a major sponsor, Hill is ready to go into action very quickly, he said. He still has all his up-to-date equipment, and most of his old crew members - all of them now gainfully employed - have told Hill they would be happy to come back to work for his team,

Meanwhile, Hill has been working hard on physical therapy, which apparently paid off, and has been occupying his spare time preparing to pass his private pilot's license. Hill has already flown 11 different craft, everything from a helicopter to a Pitt aerobatic plane and a T-38 jet. Since he has been staying at home, Hill has also been successfully growing his investment portfolio.

Hill is known in drag racing for being the first driver ever to record a 4-second run on a drag strip (1988) and oldest man ever to win an NHRA Winston World Championship (57 in 1993). Other legendary accomplishments include holding world land and water speed records at the same time and first driver to break 200 miles an hour in a gasoline-powered dragster.

WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Veteran driver Eddie Hill, 63, oldest professional driver ever to win a world championship in drag racing, is back on his feet again and looking to return to the motorsport he loves.

Hill has been told by his physician, Dr. Stephen Ruyle, that he is cleared to return to racing. Originally injured Oct. 30, 1999, at Houston in a violent engine fire in his 300-mph top fuel dragster, Hill for a time was facing forced retirement by disability.

Last week he passed his X-ray and other medical tests and was cleared to race by Dr. Ruyle.

Meanwhile, his long time sponsor, Pennzoil, had informed him that his sponsorship, dating to 1988, was over at the end of the 1999 season. Hill was physically unable to complete the last race of the year due to the accident. Aside from his fall sponsorship contract, Hill's association with the oil company dated back almost to the beginning of his career in 1959, a total of 40 years.

"Now I'm looking for another marketing partner to help with the costs of racing," Hill said. "It's very late to start looking for a major sponsor, I realize, but I didn't have any options as a result of the Houston accident, not to mention an earlier one that was similar in Dallas last year. I'm hoping some company is looking for a big opportunity in NHRA drag racing. I know there is another championship in these old Texas bones.

"Honestly, I feel great, and I am only looking for the chance to prove once more that I am the world's oldest teenager."

Hill was declared third best on the best average elapsed time chart for 1999 with an average run of 4.631 seconds, topped only by 1998 champion Gary Scelzi (4,627) and 1999 champ Tony Schumacher (4.630). The chart was published by NHRA's trade journal, National Dragster, on Dec. 10.

If he finds a major sponsor, Hill is ready to go into action very quickly, he said. He still has all his up-to-date equipment, and most of his old crew members - all of them now gainfully employed - have told Hill they would be happy to come back to work for his team,

Meanwhile, Hill has been working hard on physical therapy, which apparently paid off, and has been occupying his spare time preparing to pass his private pilot's license. Hill has already flown 11 different craft, everything from a helicopter to a Pitt aerobatic plane and a T-38 jet. Since he has been staying at home, Hill has also been successfully growing his investment portfolio.

Hill is known in drag racing for being the first driver ever to record a 4-second run on a drag strip (1988) and oldest man ever to win an NHRA Winston World Championship (57 in 1993). Other legendary accomplishments include holding world land and water speed records at the same time and first driver to break 200 miles an hour in a gasoline-powered dragster.