Jun 22–23, 2018 · Maryville, TN · 📍 Founders Sq, E Broadway Ave
RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES won Grand Champion at the Blount County BBQ Bash on June 22, 2018 in Maryville, TN at Founders Sq, E Broadway Ave, scoring 701.0740 in a field of 36 teams. EXTRA MILE BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 686.7884. Category winners: Chicken — UNCLE TOAD'S COMPETITION BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES (174.2628); Pork — THE ALGOOD BAR-B-Q PIT CREW (178.8572); Brisket — EXTRA MILE BBQ (180.0000). This is the 4th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by THE PIT CREW GA; the next was held in 2019.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2014 to 2021 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 87 times in 100
RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES came in rated below the field's top team, Organizer Portal, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 13-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 45th tracked contest.
Wider than 95% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The champion won by 14.2856 points — a wider margin than 95% of championships in the data.
2 of 6 tracked editions
SMOKE ON THIS has won this contest 2 times across its 6 tracked editions.
Pork Ribs places 3–4: WV LOC-N-LOADED BBQ and TASTE OF GRACE tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 6–7: SHINEY HINEYS and THE PIT CREW GA tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 4–5: SMOKE ON THIS and PALMETTO PITMASTERS tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 5th.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: UNDER THE RADAR (won 2014), SMOKE ON THIS (won 2015), THE PIT CREW GA (won 2017).
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 27, 2014 | Maryville, TN | Maryville, TN 37801 | 39 | 702.2856 | UNDER THE RADAR | SMOKE ON THIS |
| Jun 26, 2015 | Maryville, TN | Maryville, TN 37917 | 38 | 706.2400 | SMOKE ON THIS | UNDER THE RADAR |
| Jun 23, 2017 | Maryville, TN | Founders Sq, E Broadway Ave | 35 | 703.9656 | THE PIT CREW GA | UNDER THE RADAR |
| Jun 22, 2018 ← this one | Maryville, TN | Founders Sq, E Broadway Ave | 36 | 701.0740 | RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES | EXTRA MILE BBQ |
| Jun 21, 2019 | Maryville, TN | Founders Square E Broadway Ave. | 27 | 695.3828 | Smoke on This | CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. |
| Jun 25, 2021 | Maryville, TN | Fanders Sq E Broadway Ave. | 32 | 698.2628 | Smoke Central BBQ | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 174.2628 | 170.8800 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.2628 | 173.1084 | 169.1200 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 173.7028 | 172 |
| Brisket | 180 | 173.1316 | 170.8228 |
36 entries · top 701.0740 · median 668.7026
36 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.1028
36 entries · top 174.2628 · median 164.2400
36 entries · top 178.8572 · median 166.2514
36 entries · top 180 · median 166.2398 · 🔥 perfect 180
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.
20 entries · top 171.4972 · median 153.7542
17 entries · top 177.1428 · median 158.2400
34 entries · top 174.3428 · median 158.3314