''Pure Hell'' was an American

Fuel A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...

Altered (AA/FA)

drag racing Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most c ...

car. With an

wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...

, ''Pure Hell'' was initially powered by a

Chevrolet small-block engine Chevrolet small-block engine refers to one of a number of gasoline-powered vehicle engines manufactured by the General Motors company. These include: * The III, IV, V generation of LS-based GM engines. * The I, II generation of non-LS Chevrolet ...

V8, mounted high in the chassis, at a steep angle, to improve traction. Driver Don Petrich was replaced in 1965 by Dale Emery. The car was popular for

match racing A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head. In sailboat racing it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consis ...

and became notorious for refusing to run in a straight line (thanks in part to its short wheelbase), wheelstanding, and running off the strip entirely. In a 1994 interview, Emery remarked, “When it locked up at half-track, it was anybody’s guess which way it would go.” On one occasion, at Fremont Raceway, the car landed upside-down in a flooded ditch after an improperly fastened steering wheel came off the steering column. After ''Pure Hell'' was outfitted with a

hemi Hemi may refer to: People Surname * Jack Hemi (1914–1996), New Zealand freezing worker, rugby union and league player, shearer * Ronald Hemi (1933–2000), New Zealand rugby union player Given name * Hemi Bawa, Indian painter and sculptor * H ...

and better clutch in 1968, the car was entered in a showdown event between Funny Cars and Altereds at OCIR; Emery won the event. A week later, he recorded a pass, on his way to winning the

Hot Rod Magazine Championship Drag Races The Hot Rod Magazine Championship Drag Races were a series of drag racing events sponsored by ''Hot Rod Magazine'' between 1964 and 1969. It was considered "one of the most significant drag racing events" of that era. These racing events were domin ...

Riverside Riverside may refer to: Places Australia * Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania Canada * Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon * Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta * Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural m ...

(and bettering Borsch's pass of the year before), a speed no Altered would surpass that season. ''Pure Hell'' was wrecked in a highway accident when the transporter crashed near

Deming, New Mexico Deming (, ''DEM-ing'') is a city in Luna County, New Mexico, Luna County, New Mexico, United States, west of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Las Cruces and north of the Mexico–United States border, Mexican border. The population was 14,855 as of the ...

, in 1970.

References

1960s cars 1970s cars Drag racing cars Rear-wheel-drive vehicles {{car-stub