Pure Hell!

Updated 2/18/03

Updated 12/5/06!

Updated 11/25/06

Updated 2/06/03

Updated 4/10/03

Updated 4/18/06

Updated 2/18/03

Updated 11/25/06
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Early Pure Hell

Don Petrich at the helm of Rich Guasco's Pure Hell, circa 1964 at Fontana Drag City!

Photo provided by Joe Arts

A nice little piece of history from San Fernando...Guasco-Petrich-Huff set a new record for B/Fuel Roadster on September 20th, 1964 with Pure Hell with an ET of 8.67 at 177.16 MPH.

Contributed by Joe Arts, from the Don Petrich Collection.

pure hell fontana

Photo © Bob Wagner

The early small block chev version of Northern California's Fuel Altered menace, PURE HELL. Dale "the Snail" Emery at the helm. It's 1966 or later, as this is at Irwindale Raceway.

Actually, this is the first version. It took off and ended up upside down in a ditch at Fremont.

Tom West Photo

One Bad Hot Rod

Now, this is one BAD hot rod...

Glenn Miller-Trackside Photo

Pure Hell at Pomona

Les Welch Photo

the back of the photos are pretty cool, too!

The accident at Fremont. The steering wheel came off, and Dale Emery was just a bit helpless...
it had rained pretty heavily the preceding days, and this ditch got kinda full.
I talked to Dale earlier this year, and he said it was pretty lonely upside down there in this ditch...
he said he was wondering whether to hold his breath a bit longer,
or start breathing water! He finally kicked out the floor pan and was able to get out.

The worst thing that happened was that the ambulance attendant
kept trying to tug his helmet off, not realizing that the strap had to be undone...
Dale said "I thought he was gonna tug my head off!"
Of course, his face mask was full of water and he still couldn't breathe...
Finally Tony DelRio slugged the ambulance attendant, and cut the strap on Dale's helmet.

The attendant showed up later at the hospital, trying to find out who punched him,
but everybody told him it would be better if he let it go...you didn't want to mess with the DelRio boys.

Les Welch photo

A rare shot of the "Pure Hell" in it's second incarnation, and not moving.
Let me define "incarnation" as it applies to Pure Hell...
The Pure Hell roadster ran the same chassis, 1964 thru 1969.
The coil-over shock setup was installed after the Fremont drainage ditch episode,
but it was still the same frame...even after the Chrysler went in...

Pure Hell at Lions

Here's the original setup, at Lions...1964, I believe

Don Hale Photo

Bakersfield

Pure Hell at the 1965 March Meet.

Paul Hutchins photo

pure hell 1

The first version...you can tell by the fuel tank, and the lettering on the tonneau cover.

Steve Reyes photo

pure hell 1

Again, the first car...note the weight transfer trick of mounting the engine as high as possible, so when the car would launch, the high center of gravity would shift the weight on to the rear wheels.

Steve Reyes photo

Pure Hell/Heaven

Probably the best example of Good versus Evil you could see...and it looks like Evil is coming out on top here!

L & M Photo

pure hell 3

Bakersfield 1968...as you can see, Chrysler power now, a slightly different flame design on the side, and the newer style lettering...

Steve Reyes photo

Version 2. Note the new front suspension, to give that extra little bit of weight transfer. Pete Ogden was responsible for the chassis and suspension work here.

Dale "the Snail" Emery steering it downtrack.

Tom West Photo

Head On

Not particularly a place I'd be standing. Looks like Rich and Dale have found the new slipping clutch setup. I'd have to say this is 68-69 Winternationals.

PureHell Chevy

PureHell Chrysler

These two photos really show the difference and the changes that went on as tires, clutches, suspension theory all evolved...Notice how on the top photo, everything is raised up for maximum weight transfer...and then later, as in the second photo, horsepower increased, tires got stickier, clutches started to slip on purpose, the center of gravity started to move down...

PureHell Pits

Here's a shot showing some of the regular paint changes on the Pure Hell...I'd never seen
the lace on the tonneau cover until just recently. When I'd talked to Rich Guasco earlier this year,
he told me that the car was always painted by Tony DelRio,
and Tony would use whatever paint he had leftover after a week at the body shop...
hence the crackled flame look that Pure Hell had...
shoot the flames in enamel, and accidently shoot over 'em with clear lacquer...instant crackle!

David Ray Photo

Pure Hell No wheel

You can see that crackle effect a little better in this shot...

John Shanks photo

Dale Emery and Rich Guasco, the two most important people in the "Pure Hell" legend.

pure hell crower

The late 1960's era was a period of rapid development in fuel motors, clutches, and rubber. Everybody was trying the trick parts of the week...check out the different injector setups on the Pure Hell...a Crower bugcatcher here.

Pure Hell 1997

The New version of Pure Hell, retired in 1998, shown here at Sacramento, 1997, Larry Huff doing the handling chores, Rich Guasco as always, the tuning.

Mike Boersma Photo

pure hell phillipson

Dale Emery and the restored Pure Hell at the 2001 California Hot Rod Reunion Cacklefest.

If you were wondering, yes, it's running! Push starts rule!

Jim Sorenson

purehell@mysterion.net