Billow Racing

Mike went into the weekend very sore due to a redislocated shoulder Wednesday prior to the race. Mike was fast in all of his qualifiers and finished a worst of 3rd place in any of his central qualifiers. Mike went (2,3) in his qualifiers for Sport Sat. He was running fourth in the final when he got tangled with the fifth place rider and went over the corner putting him out of the race. In his sport 600 qualifiers Mike went (3,2). Mike got a bad start in the final and pinched outside. He threaded the needle in the uphill corner and was in 6th at the top of the hill. He stayed consistent and crossed the finish line in 4th. In Sport Sun Mike went (3,2) in his qualifiers. He rode a consistent run and took a 5th in the final. In Sport Sun West Mike had what looked like a weekend ending hit in his first qualifier with a ski to the side of the leg in the first corner. He took a 4th in his second qualifier. In the final Mike and another rider got tangled right after the start and the race was red flagged. Mike regrouped and was able to make the podium with a 3rd.

This has been a great season for Mike. We didn't end up points wise where we would have hoped, but aside from the two races we were struck with injury and equipment failure Mike landed consistent top finishes. We are very pleased how Mike is riding with only two years racing experience. We would like to thank all of our sponsors that have supported Mike in his racing efforts in the 08-09 season. Ace Homes, Monster Performance, Curve Industries, Stud Boy, and HMK. Mike also like to thank Phil Guarino for training him through out he season and keeping him in top shape to compete.

Check back to the website frequently to keep tabs on what Mike is up to as we will still give frequent updates through out the off season. Mike will be training harder than ever this off season and hopes to be at a physical level that surpasses his competition come December. He will also be hard at work with his own Lawn care/ Landscaping business all Spring, Summer, and Fall. If you, your company, or your business would like to partner yourself with Mike Billow and the values of hard work dedication and a winning attitude for the 2009 2010 season please contact Mike at mikey1312@yahoo.com

With the weather on Saturday reaching almost 60 degrees it was hard to believe we were racing snowmobiles. But it was a beautiful day, and there was plenty of snow! Mike got a bad start in his first race, he was working his way through the pack when he got side ways off a downhill double and went down. His second race didn’t go much better when he took the bars to the chest in an uphill section, and finished 5th. In his third qualifier Mike regained his composer and worked his way from last place to 2nd. In his Sport Saturday final Mike had another bad start. Reaching the top of the hill in next to last place. He quickly made his way to 4th place and focused on chasing down the top three that had pulled away from the pack. By the time Mike had caught the top three it was the corner before the finish and he had to settle for 4th.

Next up was the sport shootout! Mike was feeling great and on the top of his game. The pick (order you get to line up in) for the shootout was done at random and Mike was forced to start the race from the back row. He had a decent start and was able to make his way to 8th position by the top of the hill. He paced himself for the 8 lap race and picked off riders. By the last lap Mike was in 2nd and had reeled in the leader. Mike was setting up a pass when he bobbled on the downhill and almost went down. He held on and crossed the table top finish line a sled length back in the 2nd place position. Not bad with blown reeds and starting from the back row!

Sunday Mike was on fire! With some of the most consistent riding all year his worst finish in a qualifier or final was a second. Mike took a 2nd in his first qualifier, and a 1st in his other two qualifiers. He was the top qualifier for his Sport 600 final. Mike took the holeshot, but took a bad line coming down the hill and got passed on the inside. Mike trailed waiting for an opportunity to pass. He passed for 1st just before the last corner, but went into the corner a little to hot and went over the inside burm, and took a 2nd. In his Sport Sunday final Mike was top qualifier again. He took the holeshot and led the first lap. On the second lap he went a little wide on a double and landed off the track. He was able to still finish with another 2nd place. This was a big weekend for Mike. Not knowing if his shoulder was going to even hold up we are very pleased with his podium finishes. Mike has one race left. Look for Mike to carry his consistency over to Windham, NY for the last race of the year.

Mike started the weekend off with a bad crash in his first race where he hyper extended his knee. He took it easy the rest of his qualifiers and tried to keep his knee as healthy as possible for his Saturday final. Mike had to start his final from the back row and knew it would be a tough battle to the front. He came into the first corner about 10th. In the short three lap race Mike picked riders off one by one and made his way to 4th place. On Sunday Mike was looking forward to a great day of racing. He was cut short when he landed wrong off a jump in practice and dislocated his shoulder. We had to bring him to the ER to get it put back in, and Mike watched from the sidelines the rest of the day. Mike will rest until the next race in Findley Lake, NY. Hopefully he will be healed up and ready to rip.

Billow Racing ski review. Curve Industries skis

Mike : I have been fortunate enough to get a chance to try out a set of Curve Industries skis the past two weekends. It didn’t take long at all to get used to the skis. They grab snow like you wouldn’t believe and turn on demand. The skis have an exclusive profile that forms the snow into rails under the ski and allows for superb handling. They made my job in the corners easy this past weekend and aided in me in being able to make my way from the back of the pack to 4th place. When cornering is usually a determining factor in winning or losing, why not go with the best in handling and control. Visit curve www.curvexs.com today!

Things have been very busy lately and we apologize for the late race update. Mike made it to the podium this weekend for the first time this year! Mike took a 3rd in his first heat of Super stock Saturday. On his 2nd heat Mike caught a lip sideways while in first and took the ejection seat. He quickly raced back to his sled and took a 4th. Mike got a decent start in his final and quickly made his way to 2nd place. Holding tight behind the leader the whole race Mike crossed the finish line in 2nd place. His best finals finish of the year! In sport super stock Sunday final Mike went over the corner while in 3rd. He was pushing to catch back up when he overshot in the doubles section, bashing his face off the bars disorienting him and putting him out of the race. In the Sport 600 final Mike had to start from the back row due to a bad crash in one of his qualifiers. Mike threaded the needle at the start and was able to come out of the first corner in the top ten. He was able to make his way up to 5th place by the time he crossed the checkered. Mike is proud of his 2nd this weekend but is hungry for more. He is working hard to make it to first by practicing on his off weeks and working out in the middle of the week with personal trainer Phil Guarino. Mike will be gunning for number one in Barton, Vt. Hope to see you there!

Sport Super Stock Sat - Mike Started off the weekend with an adrenaline pumping race. Mike had a bad start and came out of the first corner in 6th. Making quick work of the field he was in first after 1 lap. On the second lap he made an error and went over a berm on a corner, and dropped to 3rd. With the never quit attitude he charged back up yet again, and took first starting the weekend off right. In his second qualifier Mike took second, giving him the top qualifying position for the final. In the final Mike was involved in a three sled pile up at the start. He got back on his sled and finished 11th.

Sport Super Stock Sun - Mike had a rough time in his qualifiers Sunday morning and took a 4th, and a 2nd. In the final Mike got a decent start and was able to come out of the first corner in 5th. One lap in Mike had made his way to 3rd and charging after 2nd. On the second lap Mike's hand guard interfered with his brake causing him to have to let off to fix it allowing the rider in forth to move in on Mike. As he battled to hold his position through the rhythm section Mike had a mix up with the other rider causing him to go off, and putting him out of the race.

Sport 600 - Mike took 3rd in his first qualifier for Sport 600. In his second qualifier Mike was in first when he had an off right before the finish line. Luckily the tether never came unhooked and he was still able to manage a 2nd. In his final Mike rode hard and finished in 4th.

In all Mike rode hard this past weekend and he definitely showed he has the ability to podium. He is progressing nicely in only his second year racing. Mike has two weeks off until his next race at Pit-X in Verona, NY. He has been training hard off the sled and he will put his endurance to the test in the Semi Pro West division.

This past weekend was a huge success. Mike attended the first ever snocross race school instructed by a pro rider. The Pit X track was in great condition, and was a lot of fun. Mike got in some much needed seat time, and was able to take away a lot from the race school. Mike really benefited from the one on one time with Robbie Malinoski, and feels he has taken his riding to the next level. A special thanks to, Nick and Sean from Curve Industries for putting on this event, Doug Henry for all of his contributing knowledge, Phil Guarino for all of his health and fitness advice, Brett Bender for some pointers, and Bob Pawlowski for building a great track.