A razor-thin finish
1.1540
points between champion and reserve
Closer than 80% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1540 points — closer than 80% of every championship in the data.
- SPITFIRE
- BIG T'Z Q CRU
Ribs, Rods & Rock 'n Roll 2013
Sep 6–7, 2013 · Vermillion, SD
SPITFIRE won Grand Champion at the Ribs, Rods & Rock 'n Roll on September 6, 2013 in Vermillion, SD, scoring 689.6684 in a field of 27 teams. BIG T'Z Q CRU took Reserve Grand Champion with 688.5144. Category winners: Chicken — BIG T'Z Q CRU (177.7372); Pork Ribs — SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY (179.4400); Pork — WOODWARD BARBEQUE (180.0000); Brisket — LEEPS BBQ (177.7028). This is the 1st of 6 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2014.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
482.83
median 649.65
689.67 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 177.74
- Pork Ribs 179.44
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 177.70
20
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2023 — this edition picked out.
Entries
27
4 judged meats
Top score
689.6684
Winning margin
1.1540
GC over RC
Field average
639.92
482.83689.67
median 649.65 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Brisket
5.7372 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
665.6912
482.83689.67
10th place overall
Field spread
206.8344
winner to last place
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 72%
beats 28% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.59 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,540
avg power rating going in · stronger than 30% of contests
Storylines (4 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Won without a category win
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
SPITFIRE won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 4th
- Pork Ribs 6th
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 3rd
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 8 calls decided inside half a point
Brisket places 3–4: SPITFIRE and BIG T'Z Q CRU tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: CHARCOAL LOUNGERS edged PULLED FROM THE PIT BBQ by 0.0116. Pork Ribs places 4–5: SHAGAN PIT edged TIMBONE BARBECUE by 0.0228.
- Brisket 3–4 · tie
- Chicken 6–7 · 0.0116
- Pork Ribs 4–5 · 0.0228
- Pork Ribs 6–7 · 0.0228
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- WOODWARD BARBEQUE · Pork
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)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 2013 ← this one | Vermillion, SD | Vermillion, SD | 27 | 689.6684 | SPITFIRE | BIG T'Z Q CRU |
| Sep 5, 2014 | Vermillion, SD | Vermillion, SD 57069 | 26 | 686.8228 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | GERRIT BOYS BARBEQUE |
| Sep 11, 2015 | Vermillion, SD | Vermillion, SD 57069 | 32 | 693.1432 | EGGSPERT BBQ | SPITFIRE |
| Sep 10, 2021 | Vermillion, SD | Vermillion, SD 57069 | 26 | 687.3600 | RUB MY RACK | Mr. Dudes BBQ |
| Sep 9, 2022 | Vermillion, SD | 16 Market Street | 28 | 693.6916 | Machette Boys | RUM N' SMOKE BBQ |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Vermillion, SD | 15 Court Street | 28 | 694.8572 | Shiggin & Grinnin | MACHETE BOYS BBQ |
| Sep 6, 2024 | Vermillion, SD | — | — | — | — | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7372 | 171.4400 | 166.8228 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 172.0344 | 167.4172 |
| Pork | 180 | 170.8572 | 168 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 171.9656 | 167.4172 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
27 entries · top 689.6684 · median 649.6456
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SPITFIRE | |
| 2 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 3 | CHARCOAL LOUNGERS | |
| 4 | EGGSPERT BBQ | |
| 5 | WOODWARD BARBEQUE | |
| 6 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 7 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 8 | RACCOON FLATS | |
| 9 | BIG ISLAND BBQ | |
| 10 | LEEPS BBQ | |
| 11 | ROLLIN' SMOKE BBQ SD | |
| 12 | QUAU | |
| 13 | GR8 BARBEQUE | |
| 14 | SHAGAN PIT | |
| 15 | BACKDRAFT BAR B Q SD | |
| 16 | Porky 'n Beans | |
| 17 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 18 | CIRCLE W BARBECUE | |
| 19 | Too Smoked to Pork | |
| 20 | Too Drunk to Pork | |
| 21 | Pork Tales | |
| 22 | SHORT CREW BBQ | |
| 23 | Rufus & The Rib Rubbers | |
| 24 | Dizzy's Corn Cob Cookin | |
| 25 | Ruby Red's KC BBQ | |
| 26 | PULLED FROM THE PIT BBQ | |
| 27 | BARE BUTTS |
Chicken
27 entries · top 177.7372 · median 161.7372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 2 | EGGSPERT BBQ | |
| 3 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 4 | SPITFIRE | |
| 5 | RACCOON FLATS | |
| 6 | CHARCOAL LOUNGERS | |
| 7 | PULLED FROM THE PIT BBQ | |
| 8 | WOODWARD BARBEQUE | |
| 9 | BIG ISLAND BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 11 | BARE BUTTS | |
| 12 | ROLLIN' SMOKE BBQ SD | |
| 13 | Too Drunk to Pork | |
| 14 | Too Smoked to Pork | |
| 15 | SHAGAN PIT | |
| 16 | LEEPS BBQ | |
| 17 | Porky 'n Beans | |
| 18 | QUAU | |
| 19 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 20 | SHORT CREW BBQ | |
| 21 | GR8 BARBEQUE | |
| 22 | BACKDRAFT BAR B Q SD | |
| 23 | Ruby Red's KC BBQ | |
| 24 | CIRCLE W BARBECUE | |
| 25 | Dizzy's Corn Cob Cookin | |
| 26 | Pork Tales | |
| 27 | Rufus & The Rib Rubbers |
Pork Ribs
26 entries · top 179.4400 · median 165.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 2 | EGGSPERT BBQ | |
| 3 | LEEPS BBQ | |
| 4 | SHAGAN PIT | |
| 5 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 6 | SPITFIRE | |
| 7 | CHARCOAL LOUNGERS | |
| 8 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 9 | RACCOON FLATS | |
| 10 | ROLLIN' SMOKE BBQ SD | |
| 11 | SHORT CREW BBQ | |
| 12 | GR8 BARBEQUE | |
| 13 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 14 | Too Smoked to Pork | |
| 15 | BIG ISLAND BBQ | |
| 16 | Dizzy's Corn Cob Cookin | |
| 17 | WOODWARD BARBEQUE | |
| 18 | Porky 'n Beans | |
| 19 | QUAU | |
| 20 | Pork Tales | |
| 21 | CIRCLE W BARBECUE | |
| 22 | BACKDRAFT BAR B Q SD | |
| 23 | Rufus & The Rib Rubbers | |
| 24 | Too Drunk to Pork | |
| 25 | Ruby Red's KC BBQ | |
| 26 | PULLED FROM THE PIT BBQ |
Pork
27 entries · top 180 · median 165.1428 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WOODWARD BARBEQUE | |
| 2 | SPITFIRE | |
| 3 | CHARCOAL LOUNGERS | |
| 4 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 5 | Ruby Red's KC BBQ | |
| 6 | QUAU | |
| 7 | GR8 BARBEQUE | |
| 8 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 9 | Pork Tales | |
| 10 | ROLLIN' SMOKE BBQ SD | |
| 11 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 12 | BACKDRAFT BAR B Q SD | |
| 13 | BIG ISLAND BBQ | |
| 14 | Too Smoked to Pork | |
| 15 | RACCOON FLATS | |
| 16 | Rufus & The Rib Rubbers | |
| 17 | EGGSPERT BBQ | |
| 18 | BARE BUTTS | |
| 19 | Too Drunk to Pork | |
| 20 | CIRCLE W BARBECUE | |
| 21 | Porky 'n Beans | |
| 22 | SHAGAN PIT | |
| 23 | LEEPS BBQ | |
| 24 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 25 | PULLED FROM THE PIT BBQ | |
| 26 | SHORT CREW BBQ | |
| 27 | Dizzy's Corn Cob Cookin |
Brisket
27 entries · top 177.7028 · median 165.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LEEPS BBQ | |
| 2 | CHARCOAL LOUNGERS | |
| 3 | SPITFIRE | |
| 4 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 5 | PULLED FROM THE PIT BBQ | |
| 6 | QUAU | |
| 7 | BACKDRAFT BAR B Q SD | |
| 8 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 9 | WOODWARD BARBEQUE | |
| 10 | BIG ISLAND BBQ | |
| 11 | EGGSPERT BBQ | |
| 12 | CIRCLE W BARBECUE | |
| 13 | ROLLIN' SMOKE BBQ SD | |
| 14 | RACCOON FLATS | |
| 15 | Porky 'n Beans | |
| 16 | GR8 BARBEQUE | |
| 17 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 18 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 19 | SHAGAN PIT | |
| 20 | BARE BUTTS | |
| 21 | Too Drunk to Pork | |
| 22 | Rufus & The Rib Rubbers | |
| 23 | Pork Tales | |
| 24 | Dizzy's Corn Cob Cookin | |
| 25 | SHORT CREW BBQ | |
| 26 | Too Smoked to Pork | |
| 27 | Ruby Red's KC BBQ |