Matt Billings Impressive Big Block Modified Debut Thwarted By Late Race Mechanical Failure at Canandaigua Motorsports Park Season Opener

After a long winter, nobody was happier to get back to the racetrack than Brockville, Ontario racer Matt Billings.  He made the trip to Canandaigua Motorsports Park on Friday for some practice laps, before making his Big Block Modified debut on Saturday night in the 3^rd annual Jan Corcoran Memorial. 

Billings struggled a little on Friday night, as he had his Kevin Enders Big Block Modified out for the first time.  He was 14^th out of 22 in the first practice session, and dropped to 18^th on the speed charts in session number two.  They arrived back at the track on Saturday, and were determined to get the car handling better before they went out for their heat race.  A poor draw coming in through the gate meant that Billings would have to start near the rear of his heat race, but before the end of the 10 lap qualifier, he was challenging for a transfer spot into the main event.  He finished just outside of the top five, and would be forced to run the last chance consolation race.  He started the consi from third place, and quickly moved to second at the drop of the green flag.  After a great battle for the lead, Billings made a pass for the win on the final lap, earning the top spot, and a 23^rd starting spot for the 64 lap main event.

“Our main goal for the day was to make the race, and we have done that”, says Billings.  “Now we want to get out there and run every lap and see where we stack up against this great field of cars here”.

Billings moved up through the field cautiously at the drop of the green flag.  By lap 21 he had cracked the top 15 and continued to run strong, battling his way up to 12^th place before they completed lap 30.  Over the next 20 laps, Billings had battled up to seventh place, and was holding his own against some of the best drivers in the business and future Hall of Fame racers Danny Johnson and Billy Decker.  Billings continued to run strong as the final laps of the race counted down, until an untimely mechanical failure ended the day just two laps before the checkered flag.

“We had an issue with the fuel pump”, says a disappointed Billings after coming back into the pit area after the race.  “Although we didn’t get the finish we wanted, we proved that we can run well here, and I cant wait to get back next week”.

Billings will take part in the Brockville Ontario Speedway Fan Fair this Saturday from 10am to 1pm at Walmart in Brockville, before setting off the Canandaigua for week two of the 2013 season.

Billings Motorsports would like to thank Billings Automotive, Pastime Motors, Stealth Racewear, Snap On Tools, Integra Shocks, Enders Racing Engines, Finish Line Web Design and Babe Design for your support as we look forward to a very exciting 2013 season.

                                                           

For more information on Matt Billings and the Billings Racing Team, please visit our website, www.mattbillings74.com.

Matt Billings Set For Big Block Modified Debut This Weekend at Canandaigua Motorsports Park; New Website Coming Soon

The long off-season is now over, and nobody is more anxious to get 2013 started then Brockville, Ontario racer Matt Billings. He will embark on his rookie season in the Big Block Modified division, and will get started this weekend as he makes his debut at Canandaigua Motorsports Park, located just east of Rochester, New York off the New York State Thruway.

Billings and his team will leave for Canandaigua on Friday, and will participate in a couple practice sessions on Friday night. Saturday will be their first race of the 2013 season with the 3rd annual Jan Corcoran Memorial event, with a 64 lap $6400 to win main event. This will be Matt’s first start in the Big Block, but has raced at Canandaigua in the past following the Sportsman DIRTcar Series, and is excited about being a full time competitor in 2013.

“We are really looking forward to seeing how we stack up against the best of the best”, says Billings on his transition to Big Block Modifieds and the stellar field at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. “The track is a big half mile, and we have had some success on the big tracks in the past. It has been a long winter and we are ready to get the season started”.

Billings will have a busy 2013 schedule. He will compete at Canandaigua weekly in 2013, and plans to follow the Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series schedule. He will also have a 358 Modified ready for action, with a weekly program tentatively set for Mohawk International Raceway on Friday nights, and a few special events at other tracks.

Matt Billings will soon be launching a brand new website over the next couple weeks from Finish Line Web Design. Stay tuned to MattBillings74.com as we revamp to a more interactive website that we think everyone will enjoy.

Billings Motorsports would like to thank Billings Automotive, Pastime Motors, Stealth Racewear, Snap On Tools, Integra Shocks, Enders Racing Engines, Finish Line Web Design and Babe Design for your support as we look forward to a very exciting 2013 season.

For more information on Matt Billings and the Billings Racing Team, please visit our website, www.mattbillings74.com.

Matt Billings Announces Plans to Race Weekly at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in 2013; Season to Start Early With Some RoC Events

With a new season on the horizon, Matt Billings and the Billings Motorsports team have been hard at work in their Brockville, Ontario shop getting the equipment ready for the another year or racing. However, the 2013 season will be unlike any other season, as they make the transition from a Small Block Modified, to a more powerful Big Block Modified.

Billings plans to race weekly at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in 2013, and will also have a Small Block Modified available as well, although plans for that have not been decided at this time. In addition to the Big Block car and the Small Block car, Matt will also have a Syracuse only car that will be stored away until Super DIRT Week rolls around in October.

“We are pretty excited about the upcoming season”, says Billings. “We always enjoyed racing at home, and the competition is great, but we are ready to move on to the Big Blocks and race against some of the best Modified racers around. We feel that by racing at a track as tough as Canandaigua will only improve our overall program for years to come”.

Canandaigua opens the 2013 season on Saturday, April 6th for the Jan Corcoran Memorial 64 lap, $6400 to win event. Billings, will get an earlier start however, as they tentatively plan to travel to Selinsgrove Speedway in Pennsylvania for the RoC Series Icebreaker Weekend on March 16th.

Billings Motorsports would like to thank Billings Automotive, Pastime Motors, Stealth Racewear, Snap On Tools, Integra Shocks, Enders Racing Engines, Finish Line Web Design and Babe Design for your support as we look forward to a very exciting 2013 season.

For more information on Matt Billings and the Billings Racing Team, please visit our website, www.mattbillings74.com.

Matt Billings 2012 Season in Review; Three Feature Wins Highlighted a Season of Consistency for the Billings Motorsports Team

The 2012 racing season was a year of consistency for Matt Billings and the Billings Motorsports team.  They had three wins during the year, and finished in the top 10 on 35 occasions out of 45 events.  They ended the year in the top five in points at both Mohawk Raceway and Brockville Speedway, and finished second in the three-race Frenchie’s “Chevy Runs Deep” Series at Mohawk and fifth in the three-race Canadian Nationals Series at Cornwall Speedway.

Billings started the year off with a return trip to North Carolina after being named an Ambassador for the Race 101 School that he attended in 2010.  When the racing season began, he started off at Merrittville Speedway for the first two weeks of the season, and although they didn’t get the finishes they had hoped for they did gain valuable experience on a very tough track to figure out. 

When the season opened at their own local tracks, Matt started the year off with seven straight top ten finishes, including a win at Brockville to close out the month of May.  They opened up June with a hard crash that resulted in their first DNF of the season, but bounced back to post another string of top ten finishes towards the end of the month.  In early July, Matt posted top ten finishes in a streak that included a big 50 lap Frenchie’s “Chevy Runs Deep” Series win at Mohawk.  The end of July through mid-September was the best run of consistency for the Billings team, posting 14 consecutive top ten finishes, that also included another win at Brockville and a couple strong finishes with the Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified Series.  In late September, Billings hit a streak of bad luck, having a mechanical failure while leading the race at Brighton, followed by two disappointing performances at Cayuga County and Rolling Wheels.  He got back on track at Syracuse with his career best finish in the Gander Mountain 150 with a sixth place result.

“Looking back, we had a pretty good year, but there were some frustrating times as well”, recalls Billings of his 2012 season.  “We had a few wins, and some really good finishes, but we had quite a bit of bad luck as well.  We will continue to work hard over the off-season on our program and will be back stronger then ever in 2013.  We are not sure exactly what we have in store for next year just yet, but we are looking forward to getting back to the track”.

Billings Motorsports would like to thank all of their marketing partners for their support during the 2012 season.  Billings Automotive, Pastime Motors, Stealth Racewear, Snap On Tools, Integra Shocks, Enders Racing Engines, Finish Line Web Design and Babe Design are an integral part of the team’s success, and we thank you all for your support as we look forward to the 2013 season.

                                                           

For more information on Matt Billings and the Billings Racing Team, please visit our website, www.mattbillings74.com.

Matt Billings Top Five Run Turns to Disaster After Contact From Another Car Leaves Him With Front End Damage in 2012 Season Finale at the BOS

Fresh off his stellar performance for the fourth year in a row at Super DIRT Week in Syracuse, Matt Billings and his Billings Motorsports team returned to their hometown Brockville Ontario Speedway this past weekend for their final race of the 2012 season. The last race in the Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified Speedway was on the schedule as part of the 1000 Islands RV DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals and Billings was hoping for a solid finish to end the 2012 campaign.

It was a great start to the afternoon for Billings, setting fast time in his time trial session.  His speed ended up fourth fastest out of the 42 cars on hand.  He backed that up with a second place finish in his heat race, earning a redraw spot, guaranteeing a top ten starting position for the 100 lap main event.  Matt would draw position number nine, and started the race from the inside of row five.  At the drop of the green flag, Billings inched forward and was up to sixth by lap 20.  Over the next few laps, Matt was able to climb into the top five and held that spot through lap 45 when contact from another car folded up the front end on his car, ending his afternoon just shy of the halfway point.

“We had a great car, and we were in position to ride around for a bit and conserve our tires for the finish”, says a disappointed Billings after the race.  “I really thought we had a great chance in this race, and we were all pretty optimistic going in, but it wasn’t meant to be I guess”.

Despite the way the final race ended, Billings still had a solid 2012 season.  He was the only driver that finished in the top five in points in both 2011 and 2012 at Brockville Speedway.  He finished the season with three feature wins and ended up fourth overall in the Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified point standings.

Billings Motorsports would like to thank all of their marketing partners for their support during the 2012 season.  Billings Automotive, Pastime Motors, Stealth Racewear, Snap On Tools, Integra Shocks, Enders Racing Engines, Finish Line Web Design and Babe Design are an integral part of the team’s success, and we thank you all for your support as we look forward to the 2013 season.
                                                          
For more information on Matt Billings and the Billings Racing Team, please visit our website, www.mattbillings74.com.

Matt Billings Scores Sixth Place Finish in Gander Mountain 150 at Super DIRT Week XLI; Brockville Speedway Fall Nationals Coming up Next

There is no question that Matt Billings and the Billings Motorsports team puts a lot of emphasis on racing at Syracuse.  They have a car that sits in the shop all year long that is used for Syracuse only.  Ever since Matt won the Sportsman race during Super DIRT Week in 2009, it has become his goal to run well, and eventually win the 358 Modified main event.

Billings arrived in Syracuse on Tuesday and went through the usual early bird pre-race inspection process.  On Wednesday, they prepared their weekly car for competition at Cayuga County Fair Speedway for the next stop on the Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified Series on Wednesday night.  After a day of practice at the Fairgrounds on Thursday, they headed to Rolling Wheels Raceway on Thursday night for another DIRTcar Series race.  On Friday it was more practice and qualifying at the Fairgrounds, and the heat race on Friday night.  Saturday was the Gander Mountain 150 for the 358 Modifieds.

At Cayuga County Speedway on Wednesday, Billings set fast time in his group in opening practice, and was optimistic that they would have a good night.  In time trials, Billings struggled a little, and would be fifth fastest, placing him on the inside of row three to start his heat race.  Billings finished his heat race in the fifth position, and would have to run the last chance B-main in order to qualify.  Billings struggled once again, and was forced to utilize a provisional starting spot that he earned by being in the top 12 in DIRTcar Series points.  The problems continued through the race, and Billings was scored with a disappointing 20^th place result.

After getting some practice in at the Fairgrounds on Thursday, Billings was back at Rolling Wheels on Thursday night for the next round of the DIRTcar 358 Modified series.  Billings struggled early, having to run the last chance B-main once again, and would start the race from the tail of the field.  Problems with the car put him out early, and he would be scored with a 30^th place finish.

Friday was time trial day for the 358 Modifieds at the Fairgrounds.  Billings posted the 30^th fastest speed overall.  Although they hoped for better time trial results, the team was confident that the car would be good under race conditions.  Qualifying heat races were up next on Friday evening.  Billings would start 15^th in his heat, and advanced to 10^th place, securing a starting spot in the Gander Mountain 150 on Saturday.

Billings started the main event from the 20^th starting position and patiently moved forward in the early stages of the race.  After advancing to 16^th in the first 40 laps, The Billings Motorsports team made a lightning fast pit stop while many other teams stayed out on the track.  Hoping their strategy would pay off, Billings continued.  By lap 50 he was in 25^th place.  Although he was deep in the field, he knew that most of the cars ahead of him would still have to make their pit stop.  As the race hit the halfway point, Matt continued to climb through the field and was now in the 18^th position and would advance two more positions over the next 25 laps.  With 10 laps remaining, Billings made his way into the top ten, and would finish the race with an outstanding sixth place effort.

“It was a great run for us again this year.  Every year we seem to keep improving our position”, says Billings.  “We wont be satisfied until we can win this thing, but I am pretty proud of the team for all their hard work.  I wouldn’t be able to do this without them, and our sponsors”.

Billings Motorsports would like to thank all of their marketing partners for their support for the upcoming season.  Billings Automotive, Pastime Motors, Stealth Racewear, Snap On Tools, Integra Shocks, Enders Racing Engines, Finish Line Web Design and Babe Design are an integral part of the team’s success, and we thank you all for your support as we approach the 2012 season.

                                                           

For more information on Matt Billings and the Billings Racing Team, please visit our website, www.mattbillings74.com.

Mechanical Issue Sidelines Matt Billings Early in Saturday Night’s 358 Modified Series Race at Brighton Speedway; Super DIRT Week is Next

After a pair of solid finishes in the last two 358 Modified Mr. DIRTcar Series races, Matt Billings was looking to continue his recent success as the series made its inaugural appearance at Brighton Speedway during their annual Applefest Weekend on Saturday night.

After dealing with some ignition issues earlier in the night at Brighton, Billings came out for his qualifying session and set fast time in his group, earning a front row starting spot in his qualifying heat race. Billings ran a great race, picking up the win in his heat, and would get an all important spot in the redraw for a top 12 staring position for the 100 lap main event. Billings drew position number two, and started from the outside of the front row. The caution came out on lap one, setting up a restart, and just as they went back to green, the ignition problems returned as they were on the throttle coming out of turn four. Billings was done for the night before they completed lap 2.

“We had a great car in the qualifying and heat race, and I was really looking forward to the feature”, says Billings after the race. “There was nothing I could do, there was no notice at all, the car just quit as we were about to restart the race. It is frustrating, but we will go back home, and change everything on the car that may have been the problem, and get ready for Super DIRT Week”.

Billings will have the weekend off this week from the track, but they will be busy in their Brockville, Ontario race shop preparing for Super DIRT Week. Billings will race his weekly car at Cayuga County Fair Speedway on Rolling Wheels Raceway during the satellite events, and will also race at the New York State Fairgrounds next week looking to continue his Syracuse success that includes a win at the track in 2009 in the Sportsman Championship event.

“I have always enjoyed racing at Syracuse, and we have run really well there in the past”, says Billings. “Hopefully we can continue to improve again this year, and contend for the win in the Gander Mountain 150”.

Billings Motorsports would like to thank all of their marketing partners for their support for the upcoming season. Billings Automotive, Pastime Motors, Stealth Racewear, Snap On Tools, Integra Shocks, Enders Racing Engines, Finish Line Web Design and Babe Design are an integral part of the team’s success, and we thank you all for your support as we approach the 2012 season.

For more information on Matt Billings and the Billings Racing Team, please visit our website, www.mattbillings74.com.