A statement win
14.3432
points clear of the field
Wider than 96% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 14.3432 points — a wider margin than 96% of championships in the data.
12th Annual Recovery Fest/7th Annual BBQ State Championship
Sep 9–10, 2016 · Richmond, VA · State championship
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ won Grand Champion at the 12th Annual Recovery Fest/7th Annual BBQ State Championship on September 9, 2016 in Richmond, VA, scoring 694.2628 in a field of 25 teams. OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE took Reserve Grand Champion with 679.9196. Category winners: Chicken — CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ (178.2972); Pork Ribs — LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER (174.2744); Pork — JD'S SMOKIN MISFITS (176.5600); Brisket — CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ (176.5600).
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.
508.08
median 650.77
694.26 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.30
- Pork Ribs 174.27
- Pork 176.56
- Brisket 176.56
101.38
178.30
Entries
25
4 judged meats
Top score
694.2628
Winning margin
14.3432
GC over RC
Field average
646.93
508.08694.26
median 650.77 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
5.1544 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
663.8512
508.08694.26
10th place overall
Field spread
186.1832
winner to last place
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 57%
beats 43% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.59 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,561
avg power rating going in · stronger than 47% 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.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 5 calls decided inside half a point
Brisket places 8–9: BIG DOG BBQ VA and GAME ON BBQ tied on 164.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 6–7: CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ edged WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ by 0.0112. Pork Ribs places 4–5: WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ edged CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ by 0.0344.
- Brisket 8–9 · tie
- Pork 6–7 · 0.0112
- Pork Ribs 4–5 · 0.0344
- Pork 8–9 · 0.0344
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ won Chicken, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork at 6th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 5th
- Pork 6th
- Brisket 1st
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)
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.2972 | 172.5600 | 166.2972 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.2744 | 169.1200 | 165.7144 |
| Pork | 176.5600 | 171.4056 | 167.9656 |
| Brisket | 176.5600 | 167.9656 | 163.3944 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
25 entries · top 694.2628 · median 650.7656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | |
| 2 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 3 | FIREHOUSE BAR-B-QUE | |
| 4 | LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER | |
| 5 | ROCK'S MONEY PIT BBQ | |
| 6 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 7 | STILL WORKIN' ON IT BBQ | |
| 8 | GAME ON BBQ | |
| 9 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 10 | JD'S SMOKIN MISFITS | |
| 11 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 12 | NO RUSH Q | |
| 13 | FISH NAKED | |
| 14 | KIRBBQ | |
| 15 | TAILWIND BBQ | |
| 16 | PIGS ON THE RUN | |
| 17 | COLONIAL EMBERS | |
| 18 | LIL WILL'S LONE STAR QUE | |
| 19 | 3N1 Q | |
| 20 | e2BBQ | |
| 21 | FIRESIDE ALCHEMY | |
| 22 | UNCLE TONY'S BBQ | |
| 23 | McShin Alumni | |
| 24 | CHILLIN' & GRILLIN | |
| 25 | Fired Up For Recovery |
Chicken
25 entries · top 178.2972 · median 164.5256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | |
| 2 | FIREHOUSE BAR-B-QUE | |
| 3 | LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER | |
| 4 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 5 | STILL WORKIN' ON IT BBQ | |
| 6 | PIGS ON THE RUN | |
| 7 | GAME ON BBQ | |
| 8 | JD'S SMOKIN MISFITS | |
| 9 | KIRBBQ | |
| 10 | TAILWIND BBQ | |
| 11 | FISH NAKED | |
| 12 | COLONIAL EMBERS | |
| 13 | 3N1 Q | |
| 14 | ROCK'S MONEY PIT BBQ | |
| 15 | NO RUSH Q | |
| 16 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 17 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 18 | LIL WILL'S LONE STAR QUE | |
| 19 | CHILLIN' & GRILLIN | |
| 20 | e2BBQ | |
| 21 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 22 | McShin Alumni | |
| 23 | FIRESIDE ALCHEMY | |
| 24 | UNCLE TONY'S BBQ | |
| 25 | Fired Up For Recovery |
Pork Ribs
25 entries · top 174.2744 · median 162.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER | |
| 2 | GAME ON BBQ | |
| 3 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 4 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 5 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | |
| 6 | FIREHOUSE BAR-B-QUE | |
| 7 | NO RUSH Q | |
| 8 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 9 | TAILWIND BBQ | |
| 10 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 11 | JD'S SMOKIN MISFITS | |
| 12 | UNCLE TONY'S BBQ | |
| 13 | FISH NAKED | |
| 14 | ROCK'S MONEY PIT BBQ | |
| 15 | STILL WORKIN' ON IT BBQ | |
| 16 | KIRBBQ | |
| 17 | COLONIAL EMBERS | |
| 18 | FIRESIDE ALCHEMY | |
| 19 | Fired Up For Recovery | |
| 20 | LIL WILL'S LONE STAR QUE | |
| 21 | 3N1 Q | |
| 22 | PIGS ON THE RUN | |
| 23 | e2BBQ | |
| 24 | McShin Alumni | |
| 25 | CHILLIN' & GRILLIN |
Pork
25 entries · top 176.5600 · median 165.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JD'S SMOKIN MISFITS | |
| 2 | ROCK'S MONEY PIT BBQ | |
| 3 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 4 | FIREHOUSE BAR-B-QUE | |
| 5 | STILL WORKIN' ON IT BBQ | |
| 6 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | |
| 7 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 8 | LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER | |
| 9 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 10 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 11 | 3N1 Q | |
| 12 | NO RUSH Q | |
| 13 | COLONIAL EMBERS | |
| 14 | FISH NAKED | |
| 15 | KIRBBQ | |
| 16 | UNCLE TONY'S BBQ | |
| 17 | TAILWIND BBQ | |
| 18 | FIRESIDE ALCHEMY | |
| 19 | LIL WILL'S LONE STAR QUE | |
| 20 | GAME ON BBQ | |
| 21 | McShin Alumni | |
| 22 | e2BBQ | |
| 23 | CHILLIN' & GRILLIN | |
| 24 | PIGS ON THE RUN | |
| 25 | Fired Up For Recovery |
Brisket
25 entries · top 176.5600 · median 159.9312
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | |
| 2 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | |
| 3 | ROCK'S MONEY PIT BBQ | |
| 4 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 5 | PIGS ON THE RUN | |
| 6 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 7 | STILL WORKIN' ON IT BBQ | |
| 8 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 9 | GAME ON BBQ | |
| 10 | e2BBQ | |
| 11 | NO RUSH Q | |
| 12 | FIREHOUSE BAR-B-QUE | |
| 13 | LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER | |
| 14 | FISH NAKED | |
| 15 | LIL WILL'S LONE STAR QUE | |
| 16 | FIRESIDE ALCHEMY | |
| 17 | JD'S SMOKIN MISFITS | |
| 18 | KIRBBQ | |
| 19 | COLONIAL EMBERS | |
| 20 | 3N1 Q | |
| 21 | TAILWIND BBQ | |
| 22 | CHILLIN' & GRILLIN | |
| 23 | McShin Alumni | |
| 24 | UNCLE TONY'S BBQ | |
| 25 | Fired Up For Recovery |