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x9 pepe fernadez ,z1- lee hendrickson ? 17 toby -14 the barney car

Picture #1, Pepe at Harmony.  Picture #2, Pepe at Nazareth.

X9 Mustang.........did they understand "center of gravity" and "roll center" back then.......or even care for that matter?

It's amazing where guys will bolt lead in their cars today on dirt. Almost higher the better.

My expertise as part of a pit crew on a dirt modified was usually limited to scraping the belly pan, and painting the rims silver,  but back in the mid 80's I do remember folks smarter than I talking about keeping the weight on the left rear... ("You gotta drive the car off the left rear....")

Now when you watch a modified race, or even what some guys are doing in the outlaw stock/bomber classes, the left side is barely on the ground.  Looks to me like they are trying to get all of the weight over on the right side, so maybe Pepe was way ahead of his time. 

I think he won a couple of features in the #X9 along the way so he must of had something figured out!  And even cooler than that, it's been over 50 years since that car was on the track, ane a few of us are here on a website looking at it, and talking about it....  I can't imagine anyone 50 years from now talking about any particular car that raced last year, or in the past 10 or 20 years....

Pepe had 25 feature wins in the limited sportsman division at Harmony. One of the most popular drivers who ever raced there. 

As I recall, when the X9 was first built, the front wheels (both) would lift off the ground coming off of the 2nd and 4th corners at Flemington.  After Pepe tinlered with it, it became a rocket.  He won features in the Limited Sportsman div. at Harmony, Flemington, Nazareth and Orange County.  As I remember and Greg can correct me if I am wrong, he was practally unbeatable at Harmony one season (don't remember which one).  No matter what the X9 may look like now, it was not a dud.

Originally posted in 2007:

https://3widespicturevault.com/Gettin_There_Pics&Vits/d01.27.07__X9_FER_HAR_0070H_1.htm

Originally posted in 2009:

https://3widespicturevault.com/Gettin_There_Pics&Vits/f02.22.09__X9_FER_HAR_0070H_1.htm

Steve, great memory!  In 1970 Pepe won 11 of the 20 limited sportsman features at Harmony. Seven other driivers shared the other nine features. He was co-champion that year with Jim Wismer Sr.  

During the years 1970 through 1973 Pepe won 25 of the 74 limited sportsman features held at Harmony, an amazing 34% winning percentage.  He won 11 of 20 in 1970, 9 of 35 in 1971, 2 of 7 in 1972, and 3 of 12 in 1973 (Harmony's final year).