A new contest record
700.0116
highest overall ever cooked here
700.0116 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 694.7884 3 EYZ BBQ set in 2016.
- old record 694.7884
- set 2016 by 3 EYZ BBQ
The Ironman 2018
Apr 6–7, 2018 · Greencastle, PA · 📍 1546 Buchanan Trail East
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ won Grand Champion at The Ironman on April 6, 2018 in Greencastle, PA at 1546 Buchanan Trail East, scoring 700.0116 in a field of 60 teams. 3 EYZ BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 689.1432. Category winners: Chicken — ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ (177.7372); Pork Ribs — ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ (176.0000); Pork — LO' -N- SLO' BBQ (178.2972); Brisket — QUEGASM (178.8800). This is the 4th of 7 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by DRILLING & GRILLING; the next was held in 2019.
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.
544.89
median 646.71
700.01 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 177.74
- Pork Ribs 176
- Pork 178.30
- Brisket 178.88
122.17
178.88
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2015 to 2024 — this edition picked out.
Entries
60
4 judged meats
Top score
700.0116
Winning margin
10.8684
GC over RC
Field average
640.24
544.89700.01
median 646.71 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
1.7256 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
676.4912
544.89700.01
10th place overall
Field spread
155.1200
winner to last place
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 32%
beats 68% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
56%
33 of 59 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.76 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,577
avg power rating going in · stronger than 61% of contests
Storylines (9 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.
A statement win
10.8684
points clear of the field
Wider than 90% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The champion won by 10.8684 points — a wider margin than 90% of championships in the data.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 13 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 4–5: 270 SMOKERS and RED VALLEY BBQ tied on 174.2744 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 9–10: DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM and SMOKEN DUDES BBQ tied on 168.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 2–3: PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ and SERIAL GRILLER tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Pork Ribs 4–5 · tie
- Pork Ribs 9–10 · tie
- Pork 2–3 · tie
- Pork 4–5 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork at 7th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 7th
- Brisket 4th
A contest record in chicken
177.7372
best chicken ever cooked here
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ turned in 177.7372 in chicken — past the 175.4056 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
- old best 175.4056
- across 3 past editions
Back to defend
3
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: 270 SMOKERS (won 2015), 3 EYZ BBQ (won 2016), DRILLING & GRILLING (won 2017).
- 270 SMOKERS · 2015
- 3 EYZ BBQ · 2016
- DRILLING & GRILLING · 2017
One of the big ones
60
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 92% of the 5,482 contests in the data
60 teams — bigger than 92% of the 5,482 contests in the data.
The biggest field yet
60
teams — a contest high
This contest usually draws about 54 teams
60 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 54.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 2015 | Shady Grove, PA | Shady Grove, PA 17256 | 48 | 689.0972 | 270 SMOKERS | 3 EYZ BBQ |
| Apr 1, 2016 | Greencastle, PA | 1542 Buchanan Trail East | 54 | 694.7884 | 3 EYZ BBQ | BROWN LIQUOR BBQ |
| Mar 31, 2017 | Greencastle, PA | 1546 Buchanan Trail East | 59 | 683.9544 | DRILLING & GRILLING | THE BBQ GURU |
| Apr 6, 2018 ← this one | Greencastle, PA | 1546 Buchanan Trail East | 60 | 700.0116 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | 3 EYZ BBQ |
| Apr 5, 2019 | Greencastle, PA | 1542 Buchanan Trail East | 42 | 686.2056 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | PIGGIN' WHISKEY |
| Apr 9, 2021 | Greencastle, PA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 7, 2023 | Greencastle, PA | 1546 Buchanan Trail East | 30 | 702.8460 | Off The Rack BBQ | CHUNKY BBQ |
| Apr 5, 2024 | Seven Valleys, PA | 35 Main St. | 21 | 693.0856 | Chunky BBQ | OFF THE RACK BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7372 | 174.2972 | 170.8344 |
| Pork Ribs | 176 | 174.2744 | 168.5600 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 173.7028 | 170.2744 |
| Brisket | 178.8800 | 174.2744 | 170.8112 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
60 entries · top 700.0116 · median 646.7142
Chicken
60 entries · top 177.7372 · median 164.8228
Pork Ribs
60 entries · top 176 · median 161.1258
Pork
60 entries · top 178.2972 · median 160.5430
Brisket
60 entries · top 178.8800 · median 162.8228