A new contest record
702.2284
highest overall ever cooked here
702.2284 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 698.8572 Fergolicious BBQ set in 2015.
- old record 698.8572
- set 2015 by Fergolicious BBQ
Smokin Hot Cars & BBQ 2017
Jul 28–29, 2017 · Iola, KS · 📍 500 Park Ave, Riverside Park
SMOOTH SMOKE won Grand Champion at the Smokin Hot Cars & BBQ on July 28, 2017 in Iola, KS at 500 Park Ave, Riverside Park, scoring 702.2284 in a field of 27 teams. SPICY SPITFIRE took Reserve Grand Champion with 698.8112. Category winners: Chicken — THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — THE SMOKING HILLS (176.5600); Pork — JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 (180.0000); Brisket — HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB (178.2972). This is the 3rd of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2016 edition was won by THE AMERICAN DREAM 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.
300.47
median 666.75
702.23 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 176.56
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 178.30
129.11
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2015 to 2021 — this edition picked out.
Entries
27
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
702.2284
Winning margin
3.4172
GC over RC
Field average
646.14
300.47702.23
median 666.75 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
3.4400 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
684.4800
300.47702.23
10th place overall
Field spread
401.7600
winner to last place
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 25%
beats 75% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
31%
11 of 36 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.76 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,644
avg power rating going in · stronger than 94% of contests
Storylines (8 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.
An upset on the books
26-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 74 times in 100
SMOOTH SMOKE came in rated below the field's top team, DIRT ROAD BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 26-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1743
- top seed 1921
Won without a category win
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
SMOOTH SMOKE won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 6th
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 4th
- Brisket 2nd
A stacked field
1644
average power rating going in
Stronger than 94% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1644 power rating going in — stronger than 94% of every contest tracked.
- top seed DIRT ROAD BBQ (1921)
- 27 rated teams
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 9 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 3–4: CAVEMAN CUISINE and SPICY SPITFIRE tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 1–2: THE SMOKING HILLS and SMOOTH SMOKE tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: 913 BBQ and HIGH i QUE tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Pork Ribs 1–2 · tie
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
- Pork 7–8 · tie
A contest record in chicken
180.0000
best chicken ever cooked here
THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ turned in 180.0000 in chicken — past the 176.5716 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
- old best 176.5716
- across 2 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ (won 2016).
- THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ · 2016
A perfect score on the table
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ · Chicken
- JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 · Pork
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 24, 2015 | Iola, KS | Iola, KS 66749 | 26 | 698.8572 | Fergolicious BBQ | TRUEBUD BBQ |
| Jul 29, 2016 | Iola, KS | Riverside Park | 36 | 683.9200 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | CAVEMAN CUISINE |
| Jul 28, 2017 ← this one | Iola, KS | 500 Park Ave, Riverside Park | 27 | 702.2284 | SMOOTH SMOKE | SPICY SPITFIRE |
| Jul 27, 2018 | Iola, KS | 500 Park Ave, Riverside Park | 27 | 693.7028 | HIGH i QUE II | WOOD HOOK BBQ |
| Jul 26, 2019 | Iola, KS | Riverside Park | 41 | 689.7372 | Fat & Dumb BBQ | WOOD HOOK BBQ |
| Jul 24, 2020 | Iola, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 23, 2021 | Iola, KS | 510 park Ave | 28 | 694.8228 | Bull Creek BBQ | 913 BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 174.8572 | 170.8228 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.5600 | 173.1200 | 168.5372 |
| Pork | 180 | 174.2628 | 169.7028 |
| Brisket | 178.2972 | 173.1084 | 169.1200 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
27 entries · top 702.2284 · median 666.7544
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 2 | SPICY SPITFIRE | |
| 3 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | |
| 4 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 5 | HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | |
| 6 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 7 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 8 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 9 | BUFFALO'S BBQ | |
| 10 | 913 BBQ | |
| 11 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | |
| 12 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN DAN | |
| 14 | DEAD BIRD BBQ | |
| 15 | PIG NEWTON | |
| 16 | LaMac's | |
| 17 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 18 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 19 | DUNN UP BBQ | |
| 20 | ABUNDANT BBQ | |
| 21 | DRUM DADDY BBQ | |
| 22 | Roco's | |
| 23 | OLDE SKOOL BARBICUE | |
| 24 | Coach's BBQ | |
| 25 | Four Way Test BBQ | |
| 26 | Opaa Foods | |
| 27 | FIRE & SPICE |
Chicken
26 entries · top 180 · median 168.8458 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | |
| 2 | HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | |
| 3 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | |
| 4 | SPICY SPITFIRE | |
| 5 | BUFFALO'S BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 7 | 913 BBQ | |
| 8 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 9 | PIG NEWTON | |
| 10 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 11 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 12 | DEAD BIRD BBQ | |
| 13 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 14 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 15 | SMOKIN DAN | |
| 16 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 17 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 18 | LaMac's | |
| 19 | DRUM DADDY BBQ | |
| 20 | DUNN UP BBQ | |
| 21 | Four Way Test BBQ | |
| 22 | ABUNDANT BBQ | |
| 23 | OLDE SKOOL BARBICUE | |
| 24 | Coach's BBQ | |
| 25 | Opaa Foods | |
| 26 | Roco's |
Pork Ribs
26 entries · top 176.5600 · median 164.8114
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 2 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 3 | BUFFALO'S BBQ | |
| 4 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 5 | 913 BBQ | |
| 6 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 7 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | |
| 8 | SPICY SPITFIRE | |
| 9 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 10 | HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | |
| 11 | LaMac's | |
| 12 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 13 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | |
| 14 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 15 | PIG NEWTON | |
| 16 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 17 | Coach's BBQ | |
| 18 | DUNN UP BBQ | |
| 19 | DEAD BIRD BBQ | |
| 20 | SMOKIN DAN | |
| 21 | Roco's | |
| 22 | OLDE SKOOL BARBICUE | |
| 23 | DRUM DADDY BBQ | |
| 24 | Four Way Test BBQ | |
| 25 | ABUNDANT BBQ | |
| 26 | Opaa Foods |
Pork
27 entries · top 180 · median 166.2400 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 2 | SPICY SPITFIRE | |
| 3 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 4 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 5 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKIN DAN | |
| 7 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 8 | 913 BBQ | |
| 9 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | |
| 10 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 11 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | |
| 12 | PIG NEWTON | |
| 13 | DEAD BIRD BBQ | |
| 14 | HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | |
| 15 | BUFFALO'S BBQ | |
| 16 | LaMac's | |
| 17 | ABUNDANT BBQ | |
| 18 | Roco's | |
| 19 | DRUM DADDY BBQ | |
| 20 | Four Way Test BBQ | |
| 21 | FIRE & SPICE | |
| 22 | Opaa Foods | |
| 23 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 24 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 25 | DUNN UP BBQ | |
| 26 | Coach's BBQ | |
| 27 | OLDE SKOOL BARBICUE |
Brisket
27 entries · top 178.2972 · median 166.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | |
| 2 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 3 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 4 | JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 | |
| 5 | SPICY SPITFIRE | |
| 6 | SMOKIN DAN | |
| 7 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 8 | DEAD BIRD BBQ | |
| 9 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 10 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | |
| 11 | BUFFALO'S BBQ | |
| 12 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 13 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 14 | OLDE SKOOL BARBICUE | |
| 15 | CAVEMAN CUISINE | |
| 16 | 913 BBQ | |
| 17 | DUNN UP BBQ | |
| 18 | ABUNDANT BBQ | |
| 19 | PIG NEWTON | |
| 20 | DRUM DADDY BBQ | |
| 21 | LaMac's | |
| 22 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 23 | Roco's | |
| 24 | Coach's BBQ | |
| 25 | Opaa Foods | |
| 26 | FIRE & SPICE | |
| 27 | Four Way Test BBQ |
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 — Dessert
7 entries · top 180 · median 178.8572 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 2 | HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | |
| 3 | INDIGO PIG | |
| 4 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 5 | PIG NEWTON | |
| 6 | OLDE SKOOL BARBICUE | |
| 7 | FIRE & SPICE |