NE EDT Racing - Round 6 Busco Beach Goldsboro, NC August 6, 2016

The Pro-Am class saw fourteen racers duke it out, and the winner was someone new for this round. He has been a competitor in the class for some time now, but has finally found his groove and made it to the top of the podium while in his home state of North Carolina.

NE-EDT Pro-Am ATV Podium (left to right) Brad Riley (2nd), CJ Robson (1st), Michael Houghton (3rd)

Element44 / Turtle Racing Engines / Canup Trucking’s CJ Robson got off to an incredible start in the Pro-Am class and came off the line in first place to take the Blood Enterprises / Extreme Promotions holeshot award. Robson quickly gained momentum and got out to an early lead ahead of the pack with Michael Houghton and Andrew Evanyke in second and third place behind him heading into the first corner. Houghton was hot on the heels of Robson and they both had a slight gap on the rest of the field as they tried different lines to find the fastest way around the track. Robson was soon without pressure, but only for a moment as Brad Riley had found his way from fourth place, around Evanyke and Houghton and was now chomping on the dust trail in Robson’s wake. Robson made a couple of mistakes prior to this point but remained completely mistake free for the most important part of the race, the final three laps while Riley was right on top of him. Robson kept his cool and brought his tires across the finish line in first place after fifteen heated laps, his best finish in his Pro-Am career.

CJ Robson captured the early lead in the Pro-Am Class

“I didn’t really think at all when I got the holeshot, I just knew what I had to do and I tried to race as fast as I could and not make any mistakes because I knew these other guys were fast. I just kept my head down and let my bike run as fast as it could. It’s awesome to take a win against these guys and I’m super pumped with how the race went. My bike was awesome and the MAXXIS tires and TRE engine really put the power to the ground, I couldn’t be happier,” said Robson.

After 15 laps, CJ Robson won the Pro-Am Class - his best Pro-Am career finish

Houser Racing / EKS Brand Goggles / FourWerx Carbon’s Brad Riley had his work cut out for him in the Pro-Am class off the start as he came out in fifth place, just behind Vechery Racing’s Tim Dettling. Riley was able to make his was around Dettling but then was faced with taking on Andrew Evanyke and Michael Houghton. Riley tried different lines and eventually was able to make his way around both of them and into second place from where he was able to plan an attack for Robson. As the final moments of the race came closer and close, Riley tried a few run’s on Robson down the back stretch but to no avail, he was forced to bring it home with a second place finish. Riley now sits ten points ahead in first place in the Pro-Am points hunt ahead of Creech.

Brad Riley held off Michael Houghton to finish second place in the Pro-Am Class

Earnhardt Racing / Pippard Performance / The Program’s Michael Houghton also got off to a good start in second place as he came off the line just behind Robson. Houghton stayed on the gas and remained up front with Robson but came under attack from Riley around the midway point of the race. Houghton fought back but was forced to drop to third place, where he remained until the end of the race, and ended up with another podium finish for himself, making this his fourth third-place finish of the season.

Michael Houghton rounded out the Pro-Am Class podium in third