Folks Of Interest RIP ... Rich "Pure Hell" Guasco

Richard L. Guasco
March 11th 1937 - April 14th 2025

RIP my friend
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Rich's 1961 AMBR award winner:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=822505644764267

 

Rich's PURE HELL AA/Altered:

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Thanks Todd for posting this. I'm going to miss him. We spent some interesting miles together over the years. He and Pure Hell were my Hot Rod hero's from way back as a kid. So glad I got to know him RIP

 

Before paint-

 

Dave -

I'm really gonna miss him too

Rich was definitely one of my Hot Rod heroes as well . . . I have great childhood memories of watching the HEMI version of Pure Hell at Fremont in '68 & '69 . . . and much later (in the late '70s), I got to meet him (through Billy B) . . . he was such a great person . . . funny & very humble.

I last saw / spoke to Rich about 4 months ago . . . It was obvious that his health had really degraded since I saw him at Goodguys in August . . . and I could tell by the look on Jill's face that he wasn't doing very well

I've got literally hundreds of more photos of Rich (& his many cars) that I could post here in my little tribute to him . . . but I was having a bit of a hard time looking back on all those memories
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- Todd

 

Rip Sir.. God Bless Us All...

 

Todd, The last time I saw him was last year at Pleasanton. We chatted a bit, but I could tell he was not feeling well and looked tired. I agree Jill was doing her best to make him as comfortable as possible. I will carry with me all the stories and all the fun we had on the road trips over the years. He was the real deal Hot Rodder and Racer.
Thanks again Todd

 

Here's the announcement of Rich's p***ing . . . via his friends at :

HOT RODDING AND RACING LEGEND RICH GUASCO, OWNER OF "PURE HELL" ALTERED, P***ES AWAY AT 88

It is with heavy heart that the crew at Fuel Curve and Goodguys share the news that Hall of Fame Drag Racer, Rich Guasco of Pleasanton, California, p***ed away peacefully with his family by his side Monday April 14th. He was 88.

Few racers brought more national attention to Northern California than Guasco. In a rodding and racing career that spanned seven decades, Guasco found his p***ion for fast cars as a post war teenager growing up in the family salvage yard in Tri-Valley region of the San Francisco Bay Area.



Hot rods, roadsters in particular, were Guasco’s p***ion. He built two iconic versions – a purple 1929 Ford that won the coveted Americas Most Beautiful Roadster award in 1961. Ironically, Guasco wasn’t able to attend the event as he was serving in the armed forces in Germany at the time.

What followed the trophy show car was a more popular roadster. Both powerful and fast, Guasco’s Pure Hell 1932 Austin bantam “altered” literally altered the course of the drag strip as one never really knew which direction it would go once the throttle was mashed and the clutch fully engaged down track. Despite being unruly, it won or set performance records at nearly every race in which it was entered.



With a supercharged V8 engine pumping out incalculable horsepower, Pure Hell roared down drag strips and took fans breath away. Driver Dale Emery thrilled race fans with impromptu wheelies, tire smoke and 200mph top speeds . One afternoon at Fremont Raceway, it went upside down into an irrigation ditch. Rebuilt in just two weeks, it set a cl*** record later that spring in Los Angeles.

After the bantam was retired following a crash during transport, Rich Guasco switched gears. His purple Dodge Demon funny car was a popular entry on the national event trail and won the Funny Car Championship at the 1973 NHRA Springnationals in Columbus, Ohio.

In the late 1970s, Guasco transitioned into a mechanic role for some of drag racing top professional teams. He joined his former driver Dale Emery on Raymond Beadle’s Blue Max Funny Car before joining Dan Pastorini’s Coors Light Top Fuel dragster all while raising his children Gina, Rusty and Jill with his late wife Dody.

In the 1990s Guasco sold the salvage yard property, pulled Pure Hell out of storage and had original builder Pete Ogden update the car’s safety features to run it on the nostalgia drags circuit. With Larry Huff driving, the car displayed its famed ill-handling characteristics. Rich parked the original car and had longtime ally Dave Uyehara build a modern version which enjoyed tremendous success, even winning the top fuel cl*** at regional races.

Just like the 60s and 70s, Guasco barnstormed the entire country with the new Pure Hell. With Brian Hope at the wheel the car achieved its best performances eventually running as quick as 5.92 seconds on the quarter mile with a blistering speed of 244.7 miles per hour. When Rich and his daughter Jill weren’t racing, he was driving his hot rods going as far as New York from his Pleasanton, California home.





Despite aging and dealing with numerous health issues, some of which stemmed from a brutal 1964 racing accident, Guasco found strength in keeping Pure Hell’s legacy alive running the car at select events during the racing season.



Rich Guasco fell ill earlier this year. Throughout his final days, he fought hard just like he raced. In fact, for the last decade of his life, he had lost all feeling in his feet but soldiered on undeterred. He was the toughest man many had ever known. Not only did he never complain or let his failing body hold him back, he was extremely gracious to his caregivers, and thousands of fans.

On his death bed, and to the surprise of no one, the television was tuned to NHRA drag racing. While he was internationally known for racing, his love for family and his willingness to share his p***ion for fast cars brought the hot rodding community together for a lifetime.

In a testament to his legacy Guasco is enshrined in Don Garlits’ International Drag Racing Hall of Fame as well as the Grand National Roadster show Hall of Fame. He was honored as Grand Marshal for dozens of historic races and other events including the California Hot Rod Reunion. It was one Hell of a run. Check out a story and interview with Rich Guasco and John Rocket Man Paxson from a few years back we did in Rich’s garage.

Rich Guasco is survived by his daughters Gina and Jill and their spouses Jeff and Phil, his son Rusty, grandchildren Dante, Grace, Hannah, Will and long time girlfriend Annie Taylor. A public celebration of his life will be announced as soon as details become available.


Photos courtesy of Marc Gewertz, the Jere Alhadeff Collection and Goodguys​

 

Rich's obituary in our local community (online) newspaper:

click to enlarge​

... and a "News story" in that same online newspaper:

‘All of Pleasanton was his home’: Rich Guasco, hall-of-fame drag racer, dies at 88
Native son known for ‘Pure Hell’ brand left lasting impact on racing, hometown and family

by Jeremy Walsh
April 16, 2025

Rich Guasco, an International Drag Racing Hall of Fame inductee known for his “Pure Hell” car and racing team and a lifelong “proud Pleasantonian”, died Monday in ho****e care at home from complications from aspiration pneumonia and cancer, according to family. He was 88.

An Amador Valley High School alumnus who ran his parents’ salvage yard and tow business for decades while also remaining heavily involved in racing teams, Guasco was well-recognized around his hometown and beyond for his roadster prowess while keeping his community and family close to his heart, according to those who knew him.

“He didn’t see what the big deal was: ‘I just do it because I love it.’ He was just very humble, funny, kind,” daughter Jill Swain, also a member of the Pure Hell team, told the Weekly on Tuesday. “All of Pleasanton was his home.”

“He was the best dad … No matter how busy he was, he never missed anything,” daughter Gina Tomasini added.

Guasco made his mark racing his trademark altered 1932 Austin Bantam dubbed “Pure Hell” in the 1960s before transitioning to funny cars, then as a mechanic for professional drag racers and later running his own team. He was inducted into Don Garlits’ International Drag Racing Hall of Fame and the Grand National Roadster show Hall of Fame.

“Rich was one of the “Greats” in drag racing, and we will miss him tremendously! RIP, Rich Guasco!” Gartlis told the Weekly.

Guasco was also a close friend of Gary Meadors, the late founder of the Goodguys Rod & Custom ***ociation, and supported the organization’s car shows in Pleasanton and elsewhere for more than four decades.

“All of us at Goodguys are terribly saddened to hear about the p***ing of our longtime friend and hot rod family member, Rich Guasco. Rich’s legendary persona is deeply intertwined with the history of Goodguys, and I have many fond memories of Rich from the past 40-plus years,” Goodguys president Marc Meadors said Tuesday.

“Of course, his ‘Pure Hell’ Fuel Altered is legendary in drag racing, and an updated version of that car continues to thrill nostalgia drag racing fans,” Marc Meadors added. “Rich always had so many great stories to tell, and he will be fondly remembered and sorely missed by so many people in the hot rod and drag racing communities.”

Guasco was born on March 11, 1937 — “in a little old house in Livermore because there was no hospital,” Swain said – and raised in Pleasanton. He grew up on Old Santa Rita Road in a house on the property where his parents operated Santa Rita Tow and Auto Wrecking.

He attended St. Michael School in Livermore and then Amador Valley High, graduating in 1955.

Tomasini said her dad would tell stories about crank calling the police station as a teenager and misdirecting the lone officer on duty at night, so he could drag race down another street. “His car wasn’t pure hell; he was,” she added, laughing.

“Hot rods, roadsters in particular, were Guasco’s p***ion,” according to an online obituary from his family. “Both powerful and fast, Guasco’s Pure Hell 1932 Austin bantam ‘altered’ literally altered the course of the drag strip as one never really knew which direction it would go once the throttle was mashed and the clutch fully engaged down track. Despite being unruly, it won or set performance records at nearly every race in which it was entered.”

He worked seemingly day and all, running the wreckage yard and driving a tow truck during the week and racing on the weekends – and building or fixing cars on off-time, according to his daughters.

But family time was always a top priority too: “He really tried hard to not miss any of our sporting events,” Swain said. “He just was the coolest dad ever.”

Guasco and late wife Dody raised their two daughters and son Rusty in Pleasanton. He closed the business in the late-1980s, and the property remains in the family to this day.

Later after his wife’s death, Guasco rekindled what would become a 20-year-plus relationship with Annie Taylor, his one-time girlfriend in high school. A proud son of Pleasanton, Guasco also was still meeting regularly with old cl***mates and friends on Tuesdays at Sunshine Saloon, according to Swain.

Donna Kamp McMillion got to know Guasco through her research for the 2023 book of local history she helped coordinate, “Cruising Down Memory Lane: Stories of Pleasanton in the 1950s”.

“He walked into the museum to be interviewed with a big smile and was chuckling as he told lots of fun stories,” McMillion said Tuesday. “I don’t think he wanted to stop talking about how special it was to grow up in Pleasanton. The sub***le of his personal story in the book is, ‘From the wrecking yard to life in the fast lane!’ That so captured his amazing life.”

“When there were panel presentations in Pleasanton and he walked into the room, everyone clapped. His purple hot rod that he built in Amador’s Auto Cl*** was oftentimes present at the oral presentations, as it drew so much attention,” she added.

And while his driving days were done years ago, Guasco was still actively involved in the Pure Hell team and was at their race just last month in Bakersfield.

Guasco’s health took a turn for the worst in recent weeks, leading to palliative care at home during the four days before his death on Monday (April 14). “Ten minutes before he died he said, ‘It’s time to go home,'” Tomasini said.

“My sister and I are obviously super-devastated, but we can’t help but smile every time we think of him,” Swain said.

A public celebration of life will be announced soon, according to his family.
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RIP Rich

 

He was the definition of the phrase "Hot Rod Hero" RIP Sir.

 

Legend

 

RIP and thanks for the memories

 

God Speed

 

Dang, he was one of those guys that I never met, never got to watch race in person but read every word on his latest exploits when he was mentioned in a magazine.

 

Rich's AA/FD (same car that ended his driving career in '62):

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A just completed painting by Christopher J. Walsh:

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. . . sadly Rich never got to see it . . . he would have loved it!

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Earlier today, I attended Rich's funeral service & reception (i.e., his "Celebration Of Life") . . . and took a few snapshots:

Memorabilia




Lawn Seating Area




The Guasco family stable of Hot Rods




The (current) Pure Hell AA/FA



Rich's blown flathead-powered '40 Pickup





Rich's blown flathead-powered '40 Coupe



Rich's '32 5wd Coupe







Rich's '29 HiBoy Roadster (i.e., the '61 AMBR)
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Thanks for sharing

 

At the "Celebration Of Life", several attendees shared their memories of Rich and their "Guasco stories" . . . one of the stories that I had heard before (but had totally forgotten) was shared by the event's emcee (@John Drummond):

In 2013, Rich shipped the (current) Pure Hell AA-FA "over the pond" . . . to participate at the event . . . but Rich's driver didn't attend . . . so Rich had to pilot the car (that he had never driven) himself . . . and preceded to do a hellacious burnout:

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I couldn't find the video of the GOODWOOD FoS burnout ... but here's a short video of Rich warming up the car:

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. . . and here's a video of Rich talking about his trips "over the pond" (Goodwood & Santa Pod):

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Steve Gibbs (@Justin Arias' maternal grandfather) also spoke at Rich's "Celebration Of Life" event:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1344383356827949

video from Cindy Gibbs' May 15th Facebook post​

 

Thank you for that.

 

Pure Heaven , dedication and humble spirit..

 

I was thinking about Rich today . . . and remembered this short video I had shot back in August of 2009:

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. . . and here's a circa 2024 interview with Rich:

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Just a bump of my little tribute to Rich . . . on what would have been his 89th birthday