By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
When you’ve been tagged with a nickname like ‘Hollywood’, you’d better get used to being in the spotlight. For DIRTcar sportsman modified racer Matt Billings, the 2009 racing season is his time to shine.
The young racer entered the current campaign on the strength of a 5th place finish in points at his hometown track, Brockville Ontario Speedway. His 1 win – combined with 6 top five and 7 top ten runs – left him hungry for more. Billings survived some less than perfect track conditions to bring his Billings Automotive/Stealth Racewear/Pastime Motors/Babe Design/Turnone High Performance Steering/Brockville Motors Bicknell home to a 10th place run at the year’s first sportsman Super DIRTcar Series event Sunday, April 5th at Black Rock Speedway in Dundee, New York.
That performance was followed-up by a 5th place effort in the second round of this year’s tour Friday, April 17th at Can Am Speedway. The Billings team has a history of travelling to some different tracks during the early part of the season and claimed a 7th place showing Sunday, April 19th on the unfamiliar clay of Weedsport, New York’s Cayuga County Fair Speedway.
Friday, April 24th the #74 ride was back at Can Am – one of their 2 weekly venues for the 2009 season – and came across the line 4th at the checkers, less than 3 seconds behind race winner Chris Raabe. Billings says he likes the challenge of running at a variety of tracks early in the year.
“In some ways, we have an advantage because Brockville doesn’t open ‘til the middle of May,” says Billings. “It gives us a chance to get the car into some racing situations and gain additional experience. When we roll into the pits at some of the shows, no one knows who we are and we don’t know anything about the track. There are no expectations to live up to and the only thing we can do is pick-up some knowledge. It’s a lot of fun to race when there really isn’t any pressure to finish in a certain spot.”
Currently in his 2nd season behind the wheel of a sportsman racer, the 15 year-old – who has an 80% average in his 10th grade studies at Brockville’s Thousand Islands Secondary School – is a graduate of the highly competitive go-kart program that has launched the career of many of today’s bright, young stars.
Ever humble, when asked talk about his early season success Billings responded by saying ‘thanks – it’s been a really good start to the year’. This is one ‘Hollywood’ star that needs to get used to his time in the spotlight.
Photo attachments: (Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications)
#1). Matt Billings waits for his turn on the track at Brockville Ontario Speedway’s 2008 season opener.
#2). Billings’ #74 DIRTcar sportsman modified turns a fast lap at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in Elbridge, New York during the ’08 campaign.
#3). Matt Billings steered his way to 4th place finish Friday, April 24th at Lafargeville, New York’s Can Am Speedway.
