May 23–24, 2015 · West Des Moines, IA
SMOKERS PURGATORY won Grand Champion at the Smokin' in the Junction on May 23, 2015 in West Des Moines, IA, scoring 688.5256 in a field of 37 teams. TRUEBUD BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 687.9544. Category winners: Chicken — GRILLS GONE WILD IOWA (177.1544); Pork Ribs — DRY 2 DA BONE (177.1544); Pork — GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS (177.7144); Brisket — WOODWARD BARBEQUE (176.5944). This is the 3rd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2014 edition was won by TRUEBUD BBQ.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2015 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Closer than 91% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5712 points — closer than 91% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 74 times in 100
SMOKERS PURGATORY came in rated below the field's top team, TRUEBUD BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 26-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
SMOKERS PURGATORY won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
This was SMOKERS PURGATORY's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 32nd tracked contest.
2 of 3 tracked editions
TRUEBUD BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 3 tracked editions.
Pork Ribs places 4–5: TRUCKY'S TRUE BLU BBQ'UE and IOWA WILD HOGS BBQ tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: SMOKIN CHICKEN BBQ and TRUEBUD BBQ tied on 170.8916 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: TRUE SMOKE BBQ edged DRY 2 DA BONE by 0.0112.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: TRUEBUD BBQ (won 2013, 2014).
This contest usually draws about 34 teams
37 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 34.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 2013 | West Des Moines, IA | West Des Moines, IA | 36 | 705.1430 | TRUEBUD BBQ | MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. |
| May 24, 2014 | West Des Moines, IA | West Des Moines, IA 50265 | 31 | 705.1544 | TRUEBUD BBQ | TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS |
| May 23, 2015 ← this one | West Des Moines, IA | West Des Moines, IA 50265 | 37 | 688.5256 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | TRUEBUD BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.1544 | 171.4284 | 169.6800 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1544 | 171.9772 | 170.2744 |
| Pork | 177.7144 | 173.1544 | 168.5828 |
| Brisket | 176.5944 | 172.5716 | 169.6916 |
37 entries · top 688.5256 · median 654.2288
36 entries · top 177.1544 · median 165.9886
36 entries · top 177.1544 · median 165.3944
37 entries · top 177.7144 · median 166.8344
36 entries · top 176.5944 · median 161.0914