Robbie Krull rises to top in Niagara Frontier dirt wars

By Dave Sully

Having covered racing for a number of years, especially on the dirt circuit, I’m aware of the performances of many drivers. Some will win a race here and there and then not be heard from for weeks. Others are perennial front runners, like Pete Bicknell and Danny Johnson, who win often.

That scenario has been playing out this season as well, with one exception. After the first few weeks of watching races at Ransomville and Merrittville, a certain car kept appearing in the top five. No matter whether it started toward the front or toward the rear, the No. 123 was one of the first numbers I typed when doing the race finishes. That car is driven by one of the unsung heroes on the local dirt circuit, thirty-three-year-old Robbie Krull, who has quietly risen to the top of the standings at Ransomville Speedway and is also close to the top at Merrittville. Robbie’s is a classic low-buck operation, which depends on a talented driver, careful preparation, and dedication to racing to take them to the top.

Robbie, born in North Tonawanda, has lived most of his life in Cambria, and is one of a number of drivers who labor at the local tracks with limited resources. But his team possesses a fierce dedication to the sport they love. They don’t do it for the money. The purses on the local level barely, or rarely, help the teams meet expenses. It’s the nature of the business and the drivers know it. Robbie is one of those local warriors and is very good at what he does.

The Starpoint High School graduate, who works for HVAC Ventilation and Air Conditioning, began his racing career in 1990 in the dirt sportsman division, following in the footsteps of his father, Bobbie, who raced for years at Lancaster. He bought a car from his uncle, who wanted to get out of racing and had veteran Bill Styvenberg drive it, except for several races where he drove it at Gasport. "I drove five or six races at Gasport and I was hooked," he relates.

He drove the Sportsman until 1994, with his highest finish being third in points at Ransomville in 1993. He switched to the 358 modifieds in ‘94 and promptly won the "Rookie of the Year" award at Ransomville. He has won a number of times, with his high water mark being a second in points at Merrittville in 2001. That has arguably been the best season of his career, highlighted by a victory in one of the triple 50s at Merrittville, which Robbie considers the biggest win of his career because "all the big dogs were there." His efforts were further rewarded as he was named "Driver of the Year," as well. He also finished fifth in points at Ransomville that year.

Robbie drives a Bicknell 2003X chassis, the hottest setup going right now in dirt racing. Most of the major DIRT stars either have driven Bicknell cars for years or have switched to them in the last few seasons, as they have proven to be clearly superior to the two biggest rivals, Teo and Troyer. He notes, "at the time I started in ’91and ’92, the Troyer was THE car. We went up there (to Troyer) and talked to them, but it didn’t work out, so we ended up going to Bicknell. They showed us the whole place, and my father’s always been friends with George Glasgow of BRP. They sold us on the car, and we’ve been in one ever since. They’re very driver friendly. We won at Ransomville in our first race."

The chassis is only half the deal with a race car. You have to have a good motor, and so far they have been very pleased with engine builder Brian Boos of Boos Performance, nephew of legendary local modified pilot Chuckie Boos. They also use the services of Mike Bumpers for machine work.

No team, at any level, can be successful without help, and Robbie is pleased with the team he has, which happens to be gender friendly as well. He and his father, who is also the crew chief, own the car, with Mike Tobey from Sanborn and Rob Carrier from Lockport represent the male side. His girl friend Keri Kenny, and recent arrival "Sam" Stanton from Wilson, represent the distaff side, all of whom are very helpful to the weekly racing effort.

Robbie has always had the number 123, which is an unusual number for a race car. In this area most cars sport two digit numbers. He explains, "My father was always No. 23, and I like the three numbers. It’s different. I used to like Dave Kneisel’s car. He was the 711 and was one of my favorite drivers while I was growing up."

Money weighs heavily into the equation, no matter what type of racing you do. While most of the financial burden is borne by Robbie and his dad, he has several sponsors who help lighten the load, led by Cambria Contracting, Lock City, Golding Trucking, Fred’s Pizza, and Boos Performance. The team takes justifiable pride in the fact that they are successful on the track, despite limited means.

Last season wasn’t as good as they would have wanted, especially after their success in 2001. This year, as I’ve mentioned, things are going quite well. I asked what they’re doing differently. Robbie noted, "It’s a combination of the motor, the car, and a lot of homework on our shocks. We got a lot of information from Randy (Williamson of BRP) the guys that were at (shock maker) Penske at the time, and from reading books. We went to a seminar when we first got the shocks a couple years ago. It was very helpful. It put us on the right track." For the uninitiated, shocks can be, and often are, the single most important setup item in racing today, at every level, and any type of car. The car won’t handle without the proper shock package, and obviously, if the car won’t handle, you can’t win.

Robbie’s cousin, Billy, known as "Zoomer," is also a race driver and until last year, when Billy went to race sprint cars, Robbie was the "other Krull." Zoomer has a flamboyant style (some might call it "reckless") which often resulted in spectacular spins and employed the "rubbing is racing" philosophy. He achieved more than a few wins with that style, but it produced some bent metal and bruised egos in the process That is not Robbie’s style. "I try to be patient. I try to put myself in a position where I can still get out of it (trouble). The track gets slicker later in the race, and I try to set the car for late in the race. We try to set the car up so we’re there at the end. A lot of guys will start fading."

For now, that is the goal for Robbie, to be there at the end of the race and at the end of the season. He will run as many of the 100-lap DIRT Tour events as they can, with the Trevor Wilkins Memorial at Merrittville, August 4, and the Alex Friesen Summer Nationals at Ransomville, August 5, as sure bets.

As for the future, it looks like he will remain in the 358s. He would move to the big blocks, "in a heartbeat," but the cost is prohibitive. With big block motors costing $30,000 and up (358s cost between $20,000 and 25,000), plus the cost of going racing (the nearest track that runs big blocks on a regular basis is Canandaigua, an hour-and a-half away), it’s just not in the cards right now.

As for his ultimate goal, he states simply, "I’d like to win races and titles, and have my son (who turned two-months-old on the day of this interview) do the same thing." Robbie Krull is a quiet guy who lets his racing speak for him. Right now it’s speaking loud and clear. If you happen to be at Ransomville or Merrittville this season, stop by after the races and have a chat. He’s easy to spot. When you find the No. 123, find the guy with the red hair and the engaging smile. Hopefully, it will be after a few trips to victory lane.

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