A razor-thin finish
1.6796
points between champion and reserve
Closer than 75% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.6796 points — closer than 75% of every championship in the data.
- 4:20 Q
- GRATE SMOKE
Currituck Heritage Festival 2016
Sep 16–17, 2016 · Powells Point, NC · 📍 184 Milburn Sawyer RD
4:20 Q won Grand Champion at the Currituck Heritage Festival on September 16, 2016 in Powells Point, NC at 184 Milburn Sawyer RD, scoring 670.1940 in a field of 16 teams. GRATE SMOKE took Reserve Grand Champion with 668.5144. Category winners: Chicken — APORKALYPSE NOW (172.0000); Pork Ribs — E.O.D. WRECKINQ (173.1544); Pork — HICKORY PRIME (170.2744); Brisket — 4:20 Q (173.1200). This is the 1st of 3 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2017.
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.
539.97
median 651.13
670.19 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 172
- Pork Ribs 173.15
- Pork 170.27
- Brisket 173.12
129.18
173.15
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2016 to 2018 — this edition picked out.
Entries
16
4 judged meats
Top score
670.1940
Winning margin
1.6796
GC over RC
Field average
636.21
539.97670.19
median 651.13 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
4.5944 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
647.9200
539.97670.19
10th place overall
Field spread
130.2280
winner to last place
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 96%
beats 4% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.42 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,595
avg power rating going in · stronger than 74% of contests
Storylines (3 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
0.0116
closest of 3 calls decided inside half a point
Pork places 8–9: GRILLIN'THYME edged OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE by 0.0116. Brisket places 6–7: OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE edged NEW REVOLUTION Q by 0.0116. Brisket places 5–6: GRILLIN'THYME edged OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE by 0.0572.
- Pork 8–9 · 0.0116
- Brisket 6–7 · 0.0116
- Brisket 5–6 · 0.0572
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
4:20 Q took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 14th.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 14th
- 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)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2016 ← this one | Powells Point, NC | 184 Milburn Sawyer RD | 16 | 670.1940 | 4:20 Q | GRATE SMOKE |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Powells Point, NC | 184 Milburn Sawyer RD | 25 | 684.5028 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | HAMTOWN SMOKERS |
| Nov 2, 2018 | Currituck, NC | 184 Milburn Sawyer RD | 25 | 681.0400 | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | HAMTOWN SMOKERS |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 172 | 166.8572 | 161.1316 |
| Pork Ribs | 173.1544 | 167.3828 | 157.1088 |
| Pork | 170.2744 | 165.6800 | 159.4172 |
| Brisket | 173.1200 | 164.0116 | 158.2856 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
16 entries · top 670.1940 · median 651.1316
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:20 Q | |
| 2 | GRATE SMOKE | |
| 3 | E.O.D. WRECKINQ | |
| 4 | NEW REVOLUTION Q | |
| 5 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | |
| 6 | MARKS FAMILY BBQ | |
| 7 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 8 | GRILLIN'THYME | |
| 9 | APORKALYPSE NOW | |
| 10 | HICKORY PRIME | |
| 11 | SLICKS BAR-B-QUE | |
| 12 | OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 13 | TUFF SMOKE | |
| 14 | Caroline Shine | |
| 15 | SHOE STRING BBQ | |
| 16 | Twin Oaks Family BBQ |
Chicken
16 entries · top 172 · median 162.5542
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | APORKALYPSE NOW | |
| 2 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 3 | 4:20 Q | |
| 4 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | |
| 5 | NEW REVOLUTION Q | |
| 6 | GRATE SMOKE | |
| 7 | GRILLIN'THYME | |
| 8 | TUFF SMOKE | |
| 9 | HICKORY PRIME | |
| 10 | OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 11 | E.O.D. WRECKINQ | |
| 12 | SLICKS BAR-B-QUE | |
| 13 | SHOE STRING BBQ | |
| 14 | MARKS FAMILY BBQ | |
| 15 | Caroline Shine | |
| 16 | Twin Oaks Family BBQ |
Pork Ribs
16 entries · top 173.1544 · median 161.1314
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E.O.D. WRECKINQ | |
| 2 | 4:20 Q | |
| 3 | MARKS FAMILY BBQ | |
| 4 | SLICKS BAR-B-QUE | |
| 5 | GRATE SMOKE | |
| 6 | GRILLIN'THYME | |
| 7 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | |
| 8 | APORKALYPSE NOW | |
| 9 | NEW REVOLUTION Q | |
| 10 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 11 | Caroline Shine | |
| 12 | OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 13 | HICKORY PRIME | |
| 14 | SHOE STRING BBQ | |
| 15 | TUFF SMOKE | |
| 16 | Twin Oaks Family BBQ |
Pork
16 entries · top 170.2744 · median 160.0058
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HICKORY PRIME | |
| 2 | E.O.D. WRECKINQ | |
| 3 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 4 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | |
| 5 | MARKS FAMILY BBQ | |
| 6 | NEW REVOLUTION Q | |
| 7 | GRATE SMOKE | |
| 8 | GRILLIN'THYME | |
| 9 | OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 10 | Caroline Shine | |
| 11 | APORKALYPSE NOW | |
| 12 | TUFF SMOKE | |
| 13 | SHOE STRING BBQ | |
| 14 | 4:20 Q | |
| 15 | SLICKS BAR-B-QUE | |
| 16 | Twin Oaks Family BBQ |
Brisket
16 entries · top 173.1200 · median 161.1028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:20 Q | |
| 2 | HICKORY PRIME | |
| 3 | GRATE SMOKE | |
| 4 | MARKS FAMILY BBQ | |
| 5 | GRILLIN'THYME | |
| 6 | OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 7 | NEW REVOLUTION Q | |
| 8 | SLICKS BAR-B-QUE | |
| 9 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | |
| 10 | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 11 | TUFF SMOKE | |
| 12 | APORKALYPSE NOW | |
| 13 | E.O.D. WRECKINQ | |
| 14 | Caroline Shine | |
| 15 | Twin Oaks Family BBQ | |
| 16 | SHOE STRING BBQ |