Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1)
2025-07-25 – 2025-07-26 · New Freedom, PA · State championship
Reps: BILL JONES, LOUISE WEIDNER, ROBERT MCKEE · Prize money: $8,000.00
Grand Champion: Piggy & Swine BBQ (706.8112) · 30 teams
Entries
41
7 categories
Top score
349.1548
Winning margin
0.0232
GC over RC
Field average
329.13
median 337.68
Perfect 180s
4 🔥
Tightest race
Pork
1.7144 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
341.6916
what a walk cost here
Field spread
200.6748
winner to last place
Prize money
$8,000.00
on the line
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 87%
beats 13% of 2713 overall wins in the data
Field strength
1567
avg power rating going in · stronger than 72% of contests
Storylines
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0232 points — closer than 96% of every championship in the data.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
Piggy & Swine BBQ took the Grand Championship home to VA.
🔥 A day of perfect scores
4 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.
🃏 An upset on the books
Piggy & Swine BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 14-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
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
This contest over the years
| Date | Where | Teams | High score | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-26 | New Freedom, PA | 35 | 693.0512 | Rooters-N-Tooters TN |
| 2024-07-27 | New Freedom, PA | 32 | 703.9544 | The Fat is Where It's At |
| 2025-07-25 ← this one | New Freedom, PA | 30 | 706.8112 | Piggy & Swine BBQ |
| 2025-07-26 | New Freedom, PA | 27 | 704.5256 | Smokin Hoggz BBQ - MA |
| 2026-07-24 | New Freedom, PA | — | — | — |
| 2026-07-25 | New Freedom, PA | — | — | — |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Ancillary — Turkey smoke
41 entries · top 180.0000 · median 167.4056 · 🔥 perfect 180
Backyard Series — Chicken
36 entries · top 177.7144 · median 167.9830
Backyard Series — Overall
36 entries · top 349.1548 · median 337.6802
Backyard Series — Pork Ribs
35 entries · top 177.1544 · median 167.9772
Master Series — Brisket
30 entries · top 180.0000 · median 171.9886 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 2 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 3 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 4 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 5 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 6 | Big Bobs Smokin Que | |
| 7 | SWEET BELLY'S BBQ | |
| 8 | DRILLING & GRILLING | |
| 9 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 10 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 11 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 12 | Mispillion Meat Works | |
| 13 | Menke Boys BBQ | |
| 14 | HARCO LOCO BBQ | |
| 15 | Palm tree smokehouse | |
| 16 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKECRAFT - MD | |
| 18 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 19 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 20 | QUE U | |
| 21 | Ain't That Rich | |
| 22 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 23 | BBQ Blokes | |
| 24 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 25 | Pappy's Q | |
| 26 | Fire Ants BBQ | |
| 27 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 28 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 29 | Them Bones | |
| 30 | Gigabyte BBQ |
Master Series — Chicken
30 entries · top 180.0000 · median 171.9772 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 2 | Big Bobs Smokin Que | |
| 3 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 4 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 5 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 6 | Ain't That Rich | |
| 7 | Mispillion Meat Works | |
| 8 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 9 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 10 | Menke Boys BBQ | |
| 11 | QUE U | |
| 12 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 13 | Palm tree smokehouse | |
| 14 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 15 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 16 | DRILLING & GRILLING | |
| 17 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 18 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 19 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 20 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 21 | SMOKECRAFT - MD | |
| 22 | Gigabyte BBQ | |
| 23 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 24 | SWEET BELLY'S BBQ | |
| 25 | HARCO LOCO BBQ | |
| 26 | BBQ Blokes | |
| 27 | Them Bones | |
| 28 | Fire Ants BBQ | |
| 29 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 30 | Pappy's Q |
Master Series — Overall
30 entries · top 706.8112 · median 679.0630
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 2 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 3 | Mispillion Meat Works | |
| 4 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 5 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 6 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 7 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 8 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 9 | QUE U | |
| 10 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 11 | SWEET BELLY'S BBQ | |
| 12 | Palm tree smokehouse | |
| 13 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 14 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 15 | Big Bobs Smokin Que | |
| 16 | Ain't That Rich | |
| 17 | SMOKECRAFT - MD | |
| 18 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 19 | HARCO LOCO BBQ | |
| 20 | Menke Boys BBQ | |
| 21 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 22 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 23 | Fire Ants BBQ | |
| 24 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 25 | Gigabyte BBQ | |
| 26 | Them Bones | |
| 27 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 28 | BBQ Blokes | |
| 29 | Pappy's Q | |
| 30 | DRILLING & GRILLING |
Master Series — Pork
29 entries · top 178.8572 · median 171.4172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 2 | Mispillion Meat Works | |
| 3 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 4 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 5 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 6 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 7 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 8 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 9 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 10 | Ain't That Rich | |
| 11 | SWEET BELLY'S BBQ | |
| 12 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 13 | QUE U | |
| 14 | Palm tree smokehouse | |
| 15 | Fire Ants BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 17 | HARCO LOCO BBQ | |
| 18 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 19 | Menke Boys BBQ | |
| 20 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 21 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 22 | Them Bones | |
| 23 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 24 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 25 | Big Bobs Smokin Que | |
| 26 | SMOKECRAFT - MD | |
| 27 | Pappy's Q | |
| 28 | Gigabyte BBQ | |
| 29 | BBQ Blokes |
Master Series — Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.2688
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKECRAFT - MD | |
| 3 | Mispillion Meat Works | |
| 4 | SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | |
| 5 | QUE U | |
| 6 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 7 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 8 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 9 | DRILLING & GRILLING | |
| 10 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 11 | Gigabyte BBQ | |
| 12 | SWEET BELLY'S BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 14 | Palm tree smokehouse | |
| 15 | Fire Ants BBQ | |
| 16 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 17 | HARCO LOCO BBQ | |
| 18 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 19 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 20 | Big Bobs Smokin Que | |
| 21 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 22 | Them Bones | |
| 23 | 4 BOXERS Q | |
| 24 | UP IN SMOKERS | |
| 25 | Ain't That Rich | |
| 26 | The Fat is Where It's At | |
| 27 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 28 | Menke Boys BBQ | |
| 29 | BBQ Blokes | |
| 30 | Pappy's Q |