Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1)
2024-07-26 – 2024-07-27 · New Freedom, PA · 📍 1 Playground Alley · State championship
Reps: BILL JONES, LOUISE WEIDNER, ROBERT MCKEE · Prize money: $9,200.00
Grand Champion: Rooters-N-Tooters TN (693.0512) · 35 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 BLUE EYED BBQ
Entries
38
7 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
693.0512
Winning margin
1.1428
GC over RC
Field average
659.13
median 667.28
Tightest race
Pork
3.4400 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
675.8512
10th place overall
Field spread
120.7308
winner to last place
Prize money
$9,200.00
on the line
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 78%
beats 22% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
44%
of the 73 teams with a home region came from outside PA
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.57 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1549
avg power rating going in · stronger than 55% of contests
Storylines
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1428 points — closer than 80% of every championship in the data.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN took the Grand Championship home to TN.
📸 Photo finishes
Master Series — Chicken places 3–4: TOP GUN BARBECUE and GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 8–9: Menke Boys BBQ and DRILLING & GRILLING tied on 171.9656 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 9–10: DRILLING & GRILLING and BLUE & GRAY BBQ tied on 171.9656 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-26 ← this one | New Freedom, PA | 1 Playground Alley | 35 | 693.0512 | Rooters-N-Tooters TN | BLUE EYED BBQ |
| 2024-07-27 | New Freedom, PA | 1 Playground Alley | 32 | 703.9544 | The Fat is Where It's At | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ |
| 2025-07-25 | New Freedom, PA | 1 Playground Alley | 30 | 706.8112 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | HotMess BBQ |
| 2025-07-26 | New Freedom, PA | 1 Playground Alley | 27 | 704.5256 | Smokin Hoggz BBQ - MA | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE |
| 2026-07-24 | New Freedom, PA | 1 Playground Alley | 43 | 710.8688 | B's Que | BBQ Maestros |
| 2026-07-25 | New Freedom, PA | 1 Playground Alley | 39 | 707.4172 | Boggs Hog BBQ | ELJEFE SMOKE |
| 2027-07-23 | New Freedom, PA | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2027-07-24 | New Freedom, PA | — | — | — | — | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 180.0000 | 175.4172 | 171.9656 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 180.0000 | 173.1200 | 170.2744 |
| Master Series — Pork | 176.5600 | 173.1200 | 170.8228 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 175.4172 | 171.4172 | 169.1084 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 179.4400 | 172.5828 | 170.8228 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 175.4516 | 171.9656 | 168.5716 |
| Ancillary — Pork | 177.7144 | 166.8228 | — |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
35 entries · top 693.0512 · median 667.2800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 2 | BLUE EYED BBQ | |
| 3 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 4 | QUE U | |
| 5 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 6 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 7 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 8 | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | |
| 9 | DRILLING & GRILLING | |
| 10 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 11 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 12 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 13 | SMOKECRAFT - MD | |
| 14 | Menke Boys BBQ | |
| 15 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 16 | HARCO LOCO BBQ | |
| 17 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 18 | SWEET BELLY'S BBQ | |
| 19 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 20 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 21 | BLUE & GRAY BBQ | |
| 22 | SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION | |
| 23 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 24 | House of Que | |
| 25 | Second Helping BBQ -PA | |
| 26 | Sasquatch Inferno | |
| 27 | JIM'S PEQUEA PULLERS | |
| 28 | The Weenie Wagon | |
| 29 | Palm tree smokehouse | |
| 30 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 31 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 32 | BBQ Blokes | |
| 33 | Kickin' Ash BBQ | |
| 34 | Them Bones | |
| 35 | Professor Smoke |
Chicken
35 entries · top 180.0000 · median 167.4056 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 2 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 3 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 4 | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | |
| 5 | BLUE EYED BBQ | |
| 6 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 7 | House of Que | |
| 8 | Menke Boys BBQ | |
| 9 | DRILLING & GRILLING | |
| 10 | BLUE & GRAY BBQ | |
| 11 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 12 | SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION | |
| 13 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 14 | Kickin' Ash BBQ | |
| 15 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 16 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 17 | HARCO LOCO BBQ | |
| 18 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 19 | SWEET BELLY'S BBQ | |
| 20 | QUE U | |
| 21 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 22 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 23 | SMOKECRAFT - MD | |
| 24 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 25 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 26 | Sasquatch Inferno | |
| 27 | JIM'S PEQUEA PULLERS | |
| 28 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 29 | Palm tree smokehouse | |
| 30 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 31 | Second Helping BBQ -PA | |
| 32 | BBQ Blokes | |
| 33 | The Weenie Wagon | |
| 34 | Professor Smoke | |
| 35 | Them Bones |
Pork Ribs
35 entries · top 180.0000 · median 166.8344 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | QUE U | |
| 2 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 3 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 4 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 5 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKECRAFT - MD | |
| 7 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 8 | BLUE EYED BBQ | |
| 9 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 10 | BBQ Blokes | |
| 11 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 12 | HARCO LOCO BBQ | |
| 13 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 14 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 15 | Second Helping BBQ -PA | |
| 16 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 17 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 18 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 19 | DRILLING & GRILLING | |
| 20 | SWEET BELLY'S BBQ | |
| 21 | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | |
| 22 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 23 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 24 | BLUE & GRAY BBQ | |
| 25 | Menke Boys BBQ | |
| 26 | The Weenie Wagon | |
| 27 | Sasquatch Inferno | |
| 28 | House of Que | |
| 29 | Palm tree smokehouse | |
| 30 | SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION | |
| 31 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 32 | JIM'S PEQUEA PULLERS | |
| 33 | Professor Smoke | |
| 34 | Kickin' Ash BBQ | |
| 35 | Them Bones |
Pork
35 entries · top 176.5600 · median 167.4060
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 2 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 3 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 4 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKECRAFT - MD | |
| 6 | BLUE EYED BBQ | |
| 7 | The Weenie Wagon | |
| 8 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 9 | QUE U | |
| 10 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 11 | Menke Boys BBQ | |
| 12 | Palm tree smokehouse | |
| 13 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 14 | SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION | |
| 15 | HARCO LOCO BBQ | |
| 16 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 17 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 18 | Second Helping BBQ -PA | |
| 19 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 20 | House of Que | |
| 21 | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | |
| 22 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 23 | DRILLING & GRILLING | |
| 24 | Sasquatch Inferno | |
| 25 | SWEET BELLY'S BBQ | |
| 26 | JIM'S PEQUEA PULLERS | |
| 27 | Them Bones | |
| 28 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 29 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 30 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 31 | BLUE & GRAY BBQ | |
| 32 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 33 | Professor Smoke | |
| 34 | BBQ Blokes | |
| 35 | Kickin' Ash BBQ |
Brisket
35 entries · top 175.4172 · median 163.9312
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 2 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 3 | DRILLING & GRILLING | |
| 4 | BLUE EYED BBQ | |
| 5 | JIM'S PEQUEA PULLERS | |
| 6 | SWEET BELLY'S BBQ | |
| 7 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 8 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 9 | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | |
| 10 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 11 | QUE U | |
| 12 | BLUE & GRAY BBQ | |
| 13 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 14 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 15 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 16 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 17 | Menke Boys BBQ | |
| 18 | HARCO LOCO BBQ | |
| 19 | SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION | |
| 20 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 21 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 22 | Sasquatch Inferno | |
| 23 | SMOKECRAFT - MD | |
| 24 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 25 | The Weenie Wagon | |
| 26 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 27 | Second Helping BBQ -PA | |
| 28 | Palm tree smokehouse | |
| 29 | House of Que | |
| 30 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 31 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 32 | BBQ Blokes | |
| 33 | Them Bones | |
| 34 | Kickin' Ash BBQ | |
| 35 | Professor Smoke |
Backyard Series
Overall
38 entries · top 348.5372 · median 332.5198
Chicken
38 entries · top 179.4400 · median 166.2686
Pork Ribs
38 entries · top 175.4516 · median 165.1142
Ancillary
Pork
9 entries · top 177.7144 · median 166.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All About the Wood | |
| 2 | Oink N' Doink BBQ | |
| 3 | Bill's Back Yard | |
| 4 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 5 | Stroked Out Cooking Team | |
| 6 | Phat Whip BBQ | |
| 7 | Estancia | |
| 8 | Broomstick BBQ | |
| 9 | The Swine Doctor's BBQ |
Ancillary categories
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
Turkey Smoke Series — Turkey Smoke
36 entries · top 178.8572 · median 163.0972