Today's picture of the car that ran the world'd first four-second quarter mile

[FourFather]

27 years ago today. 4.990 elapsed time and 288.55 mph on 4/9/88, the day that seemed to demand it.



And I was the first one to see it.

Thanks for looking.

Eddie FourFather Hill (father of the fours in drag racing)

 

[Vince H]

Incredible accomplishment. Great Picture.

Vince H

 

[THamonGT]

Thanks for posting Eddie, Great picture.

 

[w.a.nelson]

Great accomplishment, and great career. Drag racing owes a lot to you and your brave cohorts.

What would you have said to someone 27 years ago if they told you that they would have to shorten the race track because cars were going too fast?

 

[Mullet]

where was that pass made at?

 

[FourFather]

Incredible accomplishment. Great Picture.

Vince H

Thanks, Vince H. It was a great day and still a great memory.

Eddie

 

[FourFather]

Thanks for posting Eddie, Great picture.

Thank you for looking. I smile every year on this day.

Eddie

 

[FourFather]

Great accomplishment, and great career. Drag racing owes a lot to you and your brave cohorts.

What would you have said to someone 27 years ago if they told you that they would have to shorten the race track because cars were going too fast?

Thank you. The racing has sure been fun so far. (Road racing Ariel Atoms now)

I would have thought 27 years ago that shortening the quarter mile because of too much speed would be about as likely as me ever owning a STREET CAR! with the looks and performance and comfort of my Ford GT!

Eddie

 

[FourFather]

where was that pass made at?

The first all concrete track at Ennis, Texas, the Texas Motorplex. Somewhat ironically, the track was under IHRA sanction at that time. So the first official record four was NOT NHRA, but IHRA. To NHRA's credit, they did recognize the record, and comissioned a bronze sculpture symbolizing the first four, and presented it to us at the '88 year end awards ceremony.

I did go ahead and set NHRA's official first four second record, an identical 4.990 second one, six months after the first one at Ennis, at Houston Raceway Park, and turning a 4.93 while winning the final over Joe Amato. the 4.93 was "low ET of the world", (we called it on our t-shirts), for a good while after that. Fun stuff!

 

[FourFather]

I think it was here at Topeka?

The first four second record 4.990 was at Ennis, Texas, IHRA sanction, on 4/9/88. The second four second record, also 4.990, was NHRA sanction at Houston , Texas, six months later.

But Topeka was the site of my career best, in '99, my last year in top fuel.



Check out the 0 to 272.45 mph in 3.056 seconds in the 1/8 mile. Now that is a ride! :biggrin

 

[FENZO]

Great accomplishment. Can only happen once!

While you are thinking about that, think about this:

If you were travelling in your GT at top speed (205 mph) and crossed the starting line just as Eddie left you would beat him through the traps by a mere half second. :eek (4.39 vs 4.93)

That was 27 years ago... a top fuel dragster today would beat you by a half a second. Double :eek

 

[Specracer]

Great, post, I remember when you did it. Amazing it was that long ago. Well done, a HUGE milestone in drag racing.

 

[Triheart7]

You don't post often, but when you do they are always very cool!

 

[FourFather]

Great accomplishment. Can only happen once!

Thanks, FENZO.

We were all trying very hard to break that barrier, not just our team, and several teams had a good shot at it. We were just very blessed to have it happen to us, and especially the identical 4.990 record in both associations.

 

[FourFather]

Great, post, I remember when you did it. Amazing it was that long ago. Well done, a HUGE milestone in drag racing.

Thanks, Specracer. It does seem hardly possible that that many years have gone by since then.

We all wanted that very badly, and you would have a hard time believing how much time I spent as the tuner (I did my own tuning) trying to make that happen, but what a reward when it did happen!

 

[FourFather]

You don't post often, but when you do they are always very cool!

Thanks, Triheart7. Y'all are cool to go along with me on my remembrances.

 

[CJ428]

I remember when you did that Eddie, you the man!

 

[roketman]

Now that is something to be proud of!
Congrats on being a record breaker!
Quite an acomplishment!

 

[twobjshelbys]

Wow. Just wow. I can't imagine what the physical "torture" had to be like. I got to see a rocket sled at Holloman in the 70's. You had to be going through similar G-forces.

 

[DakotaGT]

So cool! Congrats on that amazing accomplishment, still so impressive after all of these years. Hemi power!