A razor-thin finish
0.5828
points between champion and reserve
Closer than 89% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5828 points — closer than 89% of every championship in the data.
- 4:20 Q
- FLYING PORKERS
New Holland Summer Fest 2015
Aug 28–29, 2015 · New Holland, PA
4:20 Q won Grand Champion at the New Holland Summer Fest on August 28, 2015 in New Holland, PA, scoring 682.8456 in a field of 70 teams. FLYING PORKERS took Reserve Grand Champion with 682.2628. Category winners: Chicken — FLYING PORKERS (177.7028); Pork Ribs — 4:20 Q (174.2972); Pork — SLOWER LOWER BBQ (174.2972); Brisket — BURNT SIDE DOWN (177.1428). This is the 3rd of 11 editions of this contest on record; the 2014 edition was won by DIZZY PIG; the next was held in 2016.
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.
467.98
median 633.02
682.85 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 177.70
- Pork Ribs 174.30
- Pork 174.30
- Brisket 177.14
125.11
177.70
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2024 — this edition picked out.
Entries
69
4 judged meats · 11 ancillary
Top score
682.8456
Winning margin
0.5828
GC over RC
Field average
628.47
467.98682.85
median 633.02 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
2.8344 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
662.7312
467.98682.85
10th place overall
Field spread
214.8684
winner to last place
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 85%
beats 15% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
75%
52 of 69 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.65 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,533
avg power rating going in · stronger than 24% of contests
Storylines (7 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.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 11 tracked editions
LO' -N- SLO' BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 11 tracked editions.
- 2016
- 2017
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 12 calls decided inside half a point
Pork places 7–8: FIRECRAFT and SMOKIN FOOLZ tied on 168.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 5–6: PIGHEADED BBQ and PaPa's Smokin' Again tied on 170.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 2–3: BADLANDS BBQ edged LITTLE LUKE'S BBQ by 0.0112.
- Pork 7–8 · tie
- Brisket 5–6 · tie
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · 0.0112
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · 0.0116
How the title was won
2 of 4
meats called to the stage
4:20 Q took the title on 2 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 12th.
- Chicken 11th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 12th
- Brisket 9th
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: DIZZY PIG (won 2014).
- DIZZY PIG · 2014
One of the big ones
70
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 95% of the 5,462 contests in the data
70 teams — bigger than 95% of the 5,462 contests in the data.
They keep coming back
75%
of last edition’s field returned
52 of 69 teams from 2014-08-22 came back
52 of the 69 teams that cooked the previous edition came back for this one — a contest people put on the calendar.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 2013 | New Holland, PA | New Holland, PA | 71 | 675.4056 | Drilling & Grilling BBQ Team | PA MIDNITE SMOKERS |
| Aug 22, 2014 | New Holland, PA | New Holland, PA 17557 | 70 | 685.0856 | DIZZY PIG | 3 EYZ BBQ |
| Aug 28, 2015 ← this one | New Holland, PA | New Holland, PA 17557 | 70 | 682.8456 | 4:20 Q | FLYING PORKERS |
| Aug 26, 2016 | New Holland, PA | New Holland, PA | 66 | 691.9312 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | BIG D'S BBQ |
| Aug 25, 2017 | New Holland, PA | 400 Block E Jackson St | 69 | 681.0860 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | BEERBEQUE |
| Aug 24, 2018 | New Holland, PA | 400 Block E Jackson St | 71 | 692 | 3N1 Q | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ |
| Aug 23, 2019 | New Holland, PA | 400 E Jackson St | 65 | 685.0740 | SMOKECRAFT | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ |
| Aug 27, 2021 | New Holland, PA | 400 E Jackson St | 44 | 694.8112 | WOLF'S REVENGE | DANTE'S INFERNO |
| Aug 26, 2022 | New Holland, PA | 400 E. Jackson St. | 49 | 698.8000 | OPTIMUS SWINE | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ |
| Aug 25, 2023 | New Holland, PA | 400 E. Jackson St. | 44 | 693.0512 | Chunky BBQ | SMOKECRAFT - MD |
| Aug 23, 2024 | New Holland, PA | 400 E. Jackson St. | 38 | 699.9428 | Wolf's Revenge BBQ | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7028 | 173.1772 | 170.8572 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.2972 | 170.9372 | 169.1772 |
| Pork | 174.2972 | 171.4628 | 168 |
| Brisket | 177.1428 | 170.8572 | 169.1544 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
69 entries · top 682.8456 · median 633.0172
Chicken
69 entries · top 177.7028 · median 160
Pork Ribs
69 entries · top 174.2972 · median 160.5944
Pork
69 entries · top 174.2972 · median 158.3200
Brisket
67 entries · top 177.1428 · median 157.1888
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.
Master Series — Chef'S Choice
29 entries · top 180 · median 172.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HAWG NATION BBQ | |
| 2 | WHO ARE THOSE GUYS? | |
| 3 | SHADY CREW | |
| 4 | BURNT SIDE DOWN | |
| 5 | BADLANDS BBQ | |
| 6 | WINDY ACRES BBQ | |
| 7 | FLYING PORKERS | |
| 8 | SMOKOPOLIS BBQ | |
| 9 | Big Daddy's Hippie Q | |
| 10 | LAYMAN FAMILY BBQ | |
| 11 | BLACK TIE BBQ | |
| 12 | It's Just Barbeque | |
| 13 | PIGHEADED BBQ | |
| 14 | FIRECRAFT | |
| 15 | PEQUEA PULLERS | |
| 16 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 17 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | |
| 18 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 19 | FREE RANGE BBQ | |
| 20 | 5-0 BBQ | |
| 21 | LITTLE CREEK BAR B CUE COMPANY | |
| 22 | ENGINEERED SMOKE | |
| 23 | BABA AND THE PIG MAN | |
| 24 | Jack's Down Home BBQ | |
| 25 | SMOKE SHACKERS | |
| 26 | Heavy Hitters BBQ | |
| 27 | BIG D'S BBQ | |
| 28 | The Lancaster Smokehouse | |
| 29 | BOB & LENA |
Master Series — Kids 12 And Under - Overall
6 entries · top 520.6056 · median 507.1090
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alayna Stoltzfus | |
| 2 | Abigail & Gracie | |
| 3 | Avery Noon | |
| 4 | Abby Boggs | |
| 5 | Steven Mateuszow | |
| 6 | Matthew Rogers |
Master Series — Kids 13 -18 Overall
5 entries · top 524.5832 · median 509.7600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sammi Hahn | |
| 2 | Abby Merola / Brianna Reid | |
| 3 | Matthew Kichgasser | |
| 4 | Coby & Casey Christine | |
| 5 | Julia Fritz |
Master Series — Kids Beef, 12 And Under
6 entries · top 175.4400 · median 163.4116
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alayna Stoltzfus | |
| 2 | Abigail & Gracie | |
| 3 | Abby Boggs | |
| 4 | Matthew Rogers | |
| 5 | Avery Noon | |
| 6 | Steven Mateuszow |
Master Series — Kids Beef, 13-18
5 entries · top 180 · median 170.2856 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abby Merola / Brianna Reid | |
| 2 | Sammi Hahn | |
| 3 | Coby & Casey Christine | |
| 4 | Matthew Kichgasser | |
| 5 | Julia Fritz |
Master Series — Kids Chef Choice, 12 And Under
6 entries · top 175.4172 · median 172.8400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avery Noon | |
| 2 | Alayna Stoltzfus | |
| 3 | Abigail & Gracie | |
| 4 | Abby Boggs | |
| 5 | Steven Mateuszow | |
| 6 | Matthew Rogers |
Master Series — Kids Chef Choice, 13-18
5 entries · top 175.4056 · median 173.7144
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abby Merola / Brianna Reid | |
| 2 | Matthew Kichgasser | |
| 3 | Sammi Hahn | |
| 4 | Coby & Casey Christine | |
| 5 | Julia Fritz |
Master Series — Kids Chicken 12 And Under
6 entries · top 173.1316 · median 169.1542
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avery Noon | |
| 2 | Abby Boggs | |
| 3 | Alayna Stoltzfus | |
| 4 | Abigail & Gracie | |
| 5 | Steven Mateuszow | |
| 6 | Matthew Rogers |
Master Series — Kids Chicken, 13-18
5 entries · top 180 · median 167.4400 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sammi Hahn | |
| 2 | Abby Merola / Brianna Reid | |
| 3 | Matthew Kichgasser | |
| 4 | Julia Fritz | |
| 5 | Coby & Casey Christine |
Master Series — Sausage
35 entries · top 170.2972 · median 161.1084
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smokin' Turtle Low N Slow Bar-B-Que | |
| 2 | LAYMAN FAMILY BBQ | |
| 3 | ENGINEERED SMOKE | |
| 4 | HAWG NATION BBQ | |
| 5 | BARN FIRE SMOKERS | |
| 6 | HIDDEN FIRE | |
| 7 | It's Just Barbeque | |
| 8 | FREE RANGE BBQ | |
| 9 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 10 | FIRECRAFT | |
| 11 | PEQUEA PULLERS | |
| 12 | WHO ARE THOSE GUYS? | |
| 13 | SMOKEN DUDES BBQ | |
| 14 | LITTLE CREEK BAR B CUE COMPANY | |
| 15 | THE BBQ GURU | |
| 16 | DRILLING & GRILLING | |
| 17 | Big Daddy's Hippie Q | |
| 18 | PIG PEN BBQ | |
| 19 | 5-0 BBQ | |
| 20 | Jack's Down Home BBQ | |
| 21 | PALM TREE SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 22 | PIGHEADED BBQ | |
| 23 | Heavy Hitters BBQ | |
| 24 | LITTLE LUKE'S BBQ | |
| 25 | BOVINE & SWINE | |
| 26 | BABA AND THE PIG MAN | |
| 27 | FLYING PORKERS | |
| 28 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | |
| 29 | Moshpit BBQ | |
| 30 | SHADY CREW | |
| 31 | WINDY ACRES BBQ | |
| 32 | BIG D'S BBQ | |
| 33 | BURNT SIDE DOWN | |
| 34 | SMOKIN GNOME BBQ | |
| 35 | SMOKOPOLIS BBQ |
Master Series — Whole Hog
7 entries · top 165.0972 · median 157.6916
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy Hitters BBQ | |
| 2 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | |
| 3 | PIG PEN BBQ | |
| 4 | Jack's Down Home BBQ | |
| 5 | LITTLE CREEK BAR B CUE COMPANY | |
| 6 | HIDDEN FIRE | |
| 7 | BOB & LENA |