A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 6 tracked editions
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE has won this contest 2 times across its 6 tracked editions.
- 2017
- 2019
Smoke in the Park 2017
Sep 22–23, 2017 · Lemoyne, PA · 📍 60 Hummel Av, Memorial Park
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE won Grand Champion at the Smoke in the Park on September 22, 2017 in Lemoyne, PA at 60 Hummel Av, Memorial Park, scoring 682.7656 in a field of 44 teams. 4:20 Q took Reserve Grand Champion with 677.5884. Category winners: Chicken — OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE (176.5600); Pork Ribs — DRILLING & GRILLING (174.2628); Pork — LO' -N- SLO' BBQ (171.4172); Brisket — CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ (176.0000). This is the 3rd of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2016 edition was won by CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ; the next was held in 2018.
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.
581.50
median 652.76
682.77 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 176.56
- Pork Ribs 174.26
- Pork 171.42
- Brisket 176
129.70
176.56
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2015 to 2021 — this edition picked out.
Entries
44
4 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
682.7656
Winning margin
5.1772
GC over RC
Field average
644.95
581.50682.77
median 652.76 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
2.8572 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
665.0744
581.50682.77
10th place overall
Field spread
101.2684
winner to last place
Double threats
3
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 86%
beats 14% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
66%
25 of 38 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.8 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,606
avg power rating going in · stronger than 81% of contests
Storylines (5 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 7 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 3–4: BUBBA JOE'S SMOKETOWN BBQ and PIGHEADED BBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 8–9: PIGHEADED BBQ and OUR BARK IS BETTER THAN YOUR BITE tied on 169.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 7–8: DRILLING & GRILLING edged PULLIN' MY MONEY MUSCLE by 0.0112.
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Brisket 8–9 · tie
- Pork 7–8 · 0.0112
- Chicken 6–7 · 0.0228
How the title was won
2 of 4
meats called to the stage
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE took the title on 2 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 18th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 13th
- Pork 18th
- Brisket 3rd
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: 3 EYZ BBQ (won 2015), CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ (won 2016).
- 3 EYZ BBQ · 2015
- CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ · 2016
The biggest field yet
44
teams — a contest high
This contest usually draws about 36 teams
44 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 36.
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 25, 2015 | Lemoyne, PA | Lemoyne, PA | 34 | 674.8000 | 3 EYZ BBQ | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT |
| Sep 23, 2016 | Lemoyne, PA | Memorial Park | 38 | 686.2744 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | 3 EYZ BBQ |
| Sep 22, 2017 ← this one | Lemoyne, PA | 60 Hummel Av, Memorial Park | 44 | 682.7656 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | 4:20 Q |
| Sep 28, 2018 | Lemoyne, PA | 60 Hummel Av, Memorial Park | 31 | 686.8000 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | 3 EYZ BBQ |
| Sep 27, 2019 | Lemoyne, PA | Hummel Ave | 40 | 680.4796 | Old Virginia Smoke | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ |
| Sep 24, 2021 | Lemoyne, PA | Memorial Park | 31 | 690.2744 | Good Googly Goo BBQ | Checkered Flag 500 |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 176.5600 | 172.5600 | 169.7028 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.2628 | 169.7488 | 166.8572 |
| Pork | 171.4172 | 168.5600 | 167.3828 |
| Brisket | 176 | 173.1428 | 169.1200 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
44 entries · top 682.7656 · median 652.7598
Chicken
44 entries · top 176.5600 · median 163.1200
Pork Ribs
44 entries · top 174.2628 · median 161.3772
Pork
44 entries · top 171.4172 · median 159.9772
Brisket
44 entries · top 176 · median 164.5542
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
9 entries · top 180 · median 170.8456 · 🔥 perfect 180
Master Series — Sausage
17 entries · top 177.7028 · median 165.6800