Hog Capital Challenge
2019-06-14 – 2019-06-15 · Kewanee, IL · 📍 605 Tenney St · State championship
Reps: CHARLIE BRINZA, TINA WELLER · Prize money: $6,000.00
Grand Champion: Heavy Smoke STL (702.2400) · 25 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 THE REAL SMOKIN ACES
Entries
25
6 judged meats
Top score
702.2400
Winning margin
18.3084
GC over RC
Field average
650.82
median 655.28
Tightest race
Brisket
3.9884 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
664.9828
10th place overall
Field spread
121.1996
winner to last place
Prize money
$6,000.00
on the line
Double threats
10
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 38%
beats 62% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
21%
of the 39 teams with a home region came from outside IL
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.54 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1511
avg power rating going in · stronger than 15% of contests
Storylines
💪 A statement win
The champion won by 18.3084 points — a wider margin than 99% of championships in the data.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
HEAVY SMOKE STL took the Grand Championship home to TN.
📸 Photo finishes
Master Series — Chicken places 4–5: SmokinGhost BBQ and SMOKE FREAKS tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 5–6: SMOKE FREAKS and P.I.G. tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork Ribs places 7–8: QUAU and QUE U tied on 169.6800 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: ONE2BBQ (won 2017), SMOKE FREAKS (won 2018).
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)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-06-16 | 605 Tenney St | 26 | 703.4172 | ONE2BBQ | BONE COLLECTOR BBQ & CATERING | |
| 2018-06-15 | 605 Tenney St | 25 | 683.8972 | SMOKE FREAKS | ONE2BBQ | |
| 2019-06-14 ← this one | Kewanee, IL | 605 Tenney St | 25 | 702.2400 | Heavy Smoke STL | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 180.0000 | 171.9772 | 166.2628 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 176.5716 | 172.0000 | 168.5600 |
| Master Series — Pork | 177.7028 | 171.4284 | 166.2400 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 175.4056 | 171.4172 | 165.1428 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 174.2744 | 162.8000 | 145.6920 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 173.7028 | 162.8460 | 146.2288 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
25 entries · top 702.2400 · median 655.2800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 3 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 4 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 6 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 7 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 8 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 9 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 10 | QUE U | |
| 11 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 12 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 13 | CHANNABILLY BBQ | |
| 14 | The Chilly Water Smokers | |
| 15 | JACKS PIT SHACK | |
| 16 | WICKED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 17 | Bigdaddyoowee Smokin Bones BBQ | |
| 18 | QUAU | |
| 19 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 20 | FIDDLIN' FATBACK | |
| 21 | Lucky 13 | |
| 22 | P.I.G. | |
| 23 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 24 | Team 25 | |
| 25 | H & H BBQ |
Chicken
25 entries · top 180.0000 · median 165.0856 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 3 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 4 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 6 | P.I.G. | |
| 7 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 8 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 9 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 10 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 11 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 12 | WICKED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 13 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 14 | JACKS PIT SHACK | |
| 15 | Team 25 | |
| 16 | CHANNABILLY BBQ | |
| 17 | Lucky 13 | |
| 18 | QUAU | |
| 19 | Bigdaddyoowee Smokin Bones BBQ | |
| 20 | The Chilly Water Smokers | |
| 21 | QUE U | |
| 22 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 23 | FIDDLIN' FATBACK | |
| 24 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 25 | H & H BBQ |
Pork Ribs
25 entries · top 176.5716 · median 166.2516
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 2 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 3 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 4 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 5 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 6 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 7 | QUAU | |
| 8 | QUE U | |
| 9 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 10 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 11 | The Chilly Water Smokers | |
| 12 | CHANNABILLY BBQ | |
| 13 | WICKED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 14 | Bigdaddyoowee Smokin Bones BBQ | |
| 15 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 16 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 18 | FIDDLIN' FATBACK | |
| 19 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 20 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 21 | Lucky 13 | |
| 22 | JACKS PIT SHACK | |
| 23 | P.I.G. | |
| 24 | H & H BBQ | |
| 25 | Team 25 |
Pork
25 entries · top 177.7028 · median 163.3944
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | QUE U | |
| 2 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 3 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 4 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 5 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 6 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 7 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 8 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 9 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 10 | JACKS PIT SHACK | |
| 11 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 12 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 13 | WICKED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 14 | FIDDLIN' FATBACK | |
| 15 | CHANNABILLY BBQ | |
| 16 | QUAU | |
| 17 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 18 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 19 | H & H BBQ | |
| 20 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 21 | The Chilly Water Smokers | |
| 22 | Lucky 13 | |
| 23 | Team 25 | |
| 24 | Bigdaddyoowee Smokin Bones BBQ | |
| 25 | P.I.G. |
Brisket
25 entries · top 175.4056 · median 160.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ONE2BBQ | |
| 2 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 3 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 5 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 6 | The Chilly Water Smokers | |
| 7 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 8 | JACKS PIT SHACK | |
| 9 | Bigdaddyoowee Smokin Bones BBQ | |
| 10 | CHANNABILLY BBQ | |
| 11 | PAPA'S BARBQ | |
| 12 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 13 | QUE U | |
| 14 | Lucky 13 | |
| 15 | P.I.G. | |
| 16 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 17 | BRASS MONKEY BBQ | |
| 18 | FIDDLIN' FATBACK | |
| 19 | WICKED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 20 | QUAU | |
| 21 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 22 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 23 | CARROL LOU'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 24 | Team 25 | |
| 25 | H & H BBQ |
Backyard Series
Overall
14 entries · top 342.2632 · median 312.8118
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DB BBQ | |
| 2 | Smoke, Fire & Brew | |
| 3 | Little Wolf Foods | |
| 4 | Donnie G's BBQ | |
| 5 | Country Crossroads Barbecue | |
| 6 | Smitty's Smokehouse Barbeque | |
| 7 | Big Stix Barbecue | |
| 8 | Manager's Special | |
| 9 | Farmer Smoked BBQ | |
| 10 | Daddy T Smokin BBQ | |
| 11 | Twin Maples BBQ | |
| 12 | Corkys Que | |
| 13 | TNT BBQ | |
| 14 | Little Piggy's |
Chicken
13 entries · top 174.2744 · median 161.6456
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DB BBQ | |
| 2 | Smoke, Fire & Brew | |
| 3 | Country Crossroads Barbecue | |
| 4 | Manager's Special | |
| 5 | Donnie G's BBQ | |
| 6 | Smitty's Smokehouse Barbeque | |
| 7 | Little Wolf Foods | |
| 8 | Big Stix Barbecue | |
| 9 | Twin Maples BBQ | |
| 10 | Farmer Smoked BBQ | |
| 11 | Corkys Que | |
| 12 | Daddy T Smokin BBQ | |
| 13 | TNT BBQ |
Pork Ribs
14 entries · top 173.7028 · median 159.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Little Wolf Foods | |
| 2 | Smoke, Fire & Brew | |
| 3 | Donnie G's BBQ | |
| 4 | DB BBQ | |
| 5 | Farmer Smoked BBQ | |
| 6 | Smitty's Smokehouse Barbeque | |
| 7 | Daddy T Smokin BBQ | |
| 8 | Big Stix Barbecue | |
| 9 | Country Crossroads Barbecue | |
| 10 | Manager's Special | |
| 11 | Twin Maples BBQ | |
| 12 | TNT BBQ | |
| 13 | Corkys Que | |
| 14 | Little Piggy's |