Brockville Ontario Speedway

Billings Motorsports
Brockville, Ontario
January 16, 2009

For Immediate Release

Billings putting in extra time in school in 2010

2009 was quite a year for Matt Billings of Brockville. The 16 year old student at Thousand Islands Secondary School turned a small budget father and son racing operation into a big time success that shocked the DIRT racing world in the last 12 months.

Billings grabbed the track title at Brockville Ontario Speedway in the ultra competitive Sportsman division. That was followed with a win in the Eastern Division of the Lucas Oil Sportsman series. Then came the biggest one yet, as the youngster conquered the Moody Mile in Syracuse taking the pole and leading all 30 laps capturing the Sportsman championship in October’s Super DIRT Week. Also, mix in some big buck feature wins and you have a true dream season. So, what you do you do to try and top the previous year? Why you put in extra time in class of course.

Broadway Matt and his trademark pre race poutine are headed south later this month to the centre of the North American motorsports world, Charlotte, North Carolina. Billings found out late in 2009 that has received a scholarship worth $7,500 to attend Race 101 racing school. The special educational program is designed to encourage talent short-track racers to further develop their potential and further their racing careers.

“I found this school on the internet,” said Matt, when I did my research I found out the man behind the school is Tony Blanchard, who worked with Joe Gibbs Racing to bring Joey Logano along to become the winning Nascar Sprint Cup driver he is today. That’s good enough for me.”

Billings applied and was selected as one of just five scholarship drivers from across Canada that will take part in the Race 101 program that includes 25 hopefuls with classes beginning at the end of January. The school works on everything that today’s successful driver must know, from dealing with sponsors to working with a crew chief to actually making the adjustments needed on the race car. There will be some long weekends in North Carolina through the winter and spring, webinars throughout the year and some on track time in a pavement late model during the race season itself. The biggest reward is one student will be selected to drive full time in a super late model car in 2011.

“I grew up around motorsports and this is what I want to do in life,” said the personable youngster. “My dad followed his hockey dreams to the OHL, and now I’m doing the same thing just in a race car. The Billings name has a lot of wins connected with it in Eastern Ontario and Northern New York, now it’s time for me to learn everything I can to take it to the next level and challenge myself.”

If going to school, working on his race cars, flagging go-kart racing and being a normal teenager wasn’t enough, Matt and the family have decided to accept one more challenge in 2010. “We are going 358 Modified racing too, Billings Automotive, Pastime Motors, Stealth Racewear, Babe Design, Brockville Motors, and Turnone Steering Systems have all stepped up to sponsor us in the premier division at Brockville Ontario Speedway every Saturday night.” The plan for Team Billings, which most nights consists of father Dean and driver Matt, is to run two nights a week and catch the odd 358 Super DIRT Series event as well.

The planning doesn’t end there, as Matt has found a kindred spirit in Central New York sprint car ace Chuck “The Cobra” Hebing. Billings convinced Hebing after a phone and email assault to let him try a Sprint Car late in 2009. Plans are in the works to see Billings in the Hebing prepared car a few more times in 2010.

“I will always treasure 2009 in my Bicknell Sportsman car and I thank everyone that played even a small role in my success “says Matt, “but I don’t want to stand still, I want to get better, I want to prove to myself that I can run with guys like Danny O Brien and Chuck Hebing every week.”

It’s going to be a busy 2010 for Brockville’s Matt Billings, it’s certain he’ll be doing his homework on and off the track. He might also be in line for a degree in time management by the time 2011 rolls around.

For More Information: Contact Dean Billings, Billings Automotive
613-342-4000

Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Series Race – New York State Fairgrounds, Oct. 10, 2009 “Super DIRT Week Sportsman Championship”

Winner - Matt Billings....

Brockville Ontario Speedway
Release 30-2009
October 10, 2009

Brockville Sportsman Champ Wins at Syracuse

BROCKVILLE-Brockville Ontario Speedway congratulates Broadway Matt Billings, the 2009 DIRT Sportsman Champion at the New York State Fairgrounds. The popular 16 year old high school student from Brockville scored the biggest win of his young racing career on Saturday afternoon, October 10th winning the 30 lap Super DIRT Series event at the legendary Moody Mile. A big birthday present a week later for father and crew chief Dean Billings.

Billings, the 2009 Brockville Sportsman champion began the day by setting fast time in qualifying clocking in at 34.003 seconds for an average speed of 105.873 mph. That put the family owned and operated Billings Automotive Bicknell on the pole over a number of better funded and more experienced race teams. Billings then led all 30 laps in a race that featured a couple of major incidents. However, on each restart the local hotshoe prevailed and pulled out major leads as he dominated the event from a first lap challenge until the checkered flag fell under the lights. Father Dean was there to greet his son as the car came to a stop on the front straightaway at the mile.

Local fans can show their support for Broadway Matt in person, this coming Saturday afternoon as he competes in the first ever DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals at Brockville Ontario Speedway. Billings will be back behind the wheel of his familiar yellow number 74 in the Super DIRT Series for Sportsman event part of a big double bill with 360 Sprint Cars along with qualifying for Sunday's finale of the 358 Modified Super DIRT Series. Sunday features the Modifieds along with Pro Stocks and Street Stocks. Race time is 2pm both days.