Saluting With Smoke (COMPETITORS SERIES)
· Yorkville, IL · 📍 Crusade Burger Bar
Reps: BECKY DRUETZLER, DAVE DRUETZLER · Prize money: $5,000.00
Grand Champion: BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. (518.2744) · 38 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 BIG "E" BBQ
Entries
38
2 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
518.2744
Winning margin
8.6060
GC over RC
Field average
482.93
median 486.49
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
4.5716 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
499.3256
10th place overall
Field spread
166.2860
winner to last place
Prize money
$5,000.00
on the line
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 66%
beats 34% of 58 Competitor Series wins in the data
Traveled in
16%
of the 38 teams with a home region came from outside IL
Storylines
💪 A statement win
The champion won by 8.6060 points — a wider margin than 86% of championships in the data.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 8–9: THE BBQ BUS edged HERE PIGGY PIGGY BBQ by 0.0116. Chicken places 6–7: CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE edged BIG "E" BBQ by 0.0460.
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
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 175.4400 | 170.8684 | 167.4516 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 169.1656 | 164.5600 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Competitor Series
Overall
38 entries · top 518.2744 · median 486.4858
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 2 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 3 | OUTLAW BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 4 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 5 | PORKRASTINATORS | |
| 6 | HERE PIGGY PIGGY BBQ | |
| 7 | STEAMBOAT BBQ-HOTDIGGITY HOG | |
| 8 | Pit Snipe BBQ | |
| 9 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 10 | P.I.G. | |
| 11 | Hard Knocks BBQ | |
| 12 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 13 | RUBY CREEK BBQ | |
| 14 | Beauty and the Beef | |
| 15 | TOPPGATOR BBQ | |
| 16 | SAUCED N SMOKED | |
| 17 | Que PD - BBQ Pork Department | |
| 18 | Hammered Swine | |
| 19 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 20 | Big Buddha Q | |
| 21 | MUD'S BBQ | |
| 22 | Rusty Drum BBQ | |
| 23 | BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 24 | Pork and Starboard | |
| 25 | HUMP'S HAVEN BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 26 | OU8RQ's | |
| 27 | SMOKE, EAT, REPEAT | |
| 28 | Wort Hawg BBQ | |
| 29 | THERMAL CHAOS BBQ | |
| 30 | HOLY SMOQUE BBQ | |
| 31 | BAD AXE BAR -B - QUE | |
| 32 | Smokey and the Bandits | |
| 33 | PLUMBER Q | |
| 34 | A Few Good Butts | |
| 35 | A-TOWN SMOKERS | |
| 36 | HOT EMBERS BBQ | |
| 37 | SMOKE GIGGITY | |
| 38 | RACK MASTERS BBQ |
Chicken
38 entries · top 175.4400 · median 159.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 2 | STEAMBOAT BBQ-HOTDIGGITY HOG | |
| 3 | TOPPGATOR BBQ | |
| 4 | Pit Snipe BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 6 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 7 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 8 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 9 | HERE PIGGY PIGGY BBQ | |
| 10 | Hard Knocks BBQ | |
| 11 | PORKRASTINATORS | |
| 12 | RACK MASTERS BBQ | |
| 13 | MUD'S BBQ | |
| 14 | OUTLAW BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 15 | PLUMBER Q | |
| 16 | Que PD - BBQ Pork Department | |
| 17 | RUBY CREEK BBQ | |
| 18 | Hammered Swine | |
| 19 | Smokey and the Bandits | |
| 20 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 21 | A-TOWN SMOKERS | |
| 22 | BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 23 | OU8RQ's | |
| 24 | THERMAL CHAOS BBQ | |
| 25 | Beauty and the Beef | |
| 26 | BAD AXE BAR -B - QUE | |
| 27 | A Few Good Butts | |
| 28 | Wort Hawg BBQ | |
| 29 | HUMP'S HAVEN BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 30 | SMOKE, EAT, REPEAT | |
| 31 | HOLY SMOQUE BBQ | |
| 32 | P.I.G. | |
| 33 | Big Buddha Q | |
| 34 | SMOKE GIGGITY | |
| 35 | Pork and Starboard | |
| 36 | Rusty Drum BBQ | |
| 37 | SAUCED N SMOKED | |
| 38 | HOT EMBERS BBQ |
Pork Ribs
38 entries · top 177.7144 · median 159.9886
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pit Snipe BBQ | |
| 2 | P.I.G. | |
| 3 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 5 | Hard Knocks BBQ | |
| 6 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 7 | OUTLAW BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 8 | HERE PIGGY PIGGY BBQ | |
| 9 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 10 | Pork and Starboard | |
| 11 | SAUCED N SMOKED | |
| 12 | OU8RQ's | |
| 13 | Rusty Drum BBQ | |
| 14 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 15 | PORKRASTINATORS | |
| 16 | RUBY CREEK BBQ | |
| 17 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 18 | Big Buddha Q | |
| 19 | Wort Hawg BBQ | |
| 20 | TOPPGATOR BBQ | |
| 21 | Hammered Swine | |
| 22 | HOT EMBERS BBQ | |
| 23 | STEAMBOAT BBQ-HOTDIGGITY HOG | |
| 24 | THERMAL CHAOS BBQ | |
| 25 | Beauty and the Beef | |
| 26 | HUMP'S HAVEN BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 27 | SMOKE, EAT, REPEAT | |
| 28 | Que PD - BBQ Pork Department | |
| 29 | MUD'S BBQ | |
| 30 | BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 31 | A-TOWN SMOKERS | |
| 32 | BAD AXE BAR -B - QUE | |
| 33 | PLUMBER Q | |
| 34 | Smokey and the Bandits | |
| 35 | HOLY SMOQUE BBQ | |
| 36 | A Few Good Butts | |
| 37 | SMOKE GIGGITY | |
| 38 | RACK MASTERS 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.
Competitor Series — Anything Goes
38 entries · top 179.4400 · median 168.8514
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beauty and the Beef | |
| 2 | PORKRASTINATORS | |
| 3 | OUTLAW BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 4 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 5 | P.I.G. | |
| 6 | BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 7 | SAUCED N SMOKED | |
| 8 | Big Buddha Q | |
| 9 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 10 | SMOKE, EAT, REPEAT | |
| 11 | HUMP'S HAVEN BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 12 | HOLY SMOQUE BBQ | |
| 13 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 14 | Rusty Drum BBQ | |
| 15 | STEAMBOAT BBQ-HOTDIGGITY HOG | |
| 16 | Que PD - BBQ Pork Department | |
| 17 | Pork and Starboard | |
| 18 | HERE PIGGY PIGGY BBQ | |
| 19 | RUBY CREEK BBQ | |
| 20 | A Few Good Butts | |
| 21 | RACK MASTERS BBQ | |
| 22 | Hammered Swine | |
| 23 | MUD'S BBQ | |
| 24 | Wort Hawg BBQ | |
| 25 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 26 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 27 | HOT EMBERS BBQ | |
| 28 | THERMAL CHAOS BBQ | |
| 29 | OU8RQ's | |
| 30 | BAD AXE BAR -B - QUE | |
| 31 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 32 | TOPPGATOR BBQ | |
| 33 | Hard Knocks BBQ | |
| 34 | Smokey and the Bandits | |
| 35 | A-TOWN SMOKERS | |
| 36 | Pit Snipe BBQ | |
| 37 | PLUMBER Q | |
| 38 | SMOKE GIGGITY |
Ancillary — Mre Challenge
21 entries · top 174.2972 · median 162.2512
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOLY SMOQUE BBQ | |
| 2 | BAD AXE BAR -B - QUE | |
| 3 | SMOKE FREAKS | |
| 4 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 5 | PORKRASTINATORS | |
| 6 | RACK MASTERS BBQ | |
| 7 | OUTLAW BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 8 | SAUCED N SMOKED | |
| 9 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 10 | TOPPGATOR BBQ | |
| 11 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 12 | Beauty and the Beef | |
| 13 | Que PD - BBQ Pork Department | |
| 14 | HOT EMBERS BBQ | |
| 15 | A-TOWN SMOKERS | |
| 16 | A Few Good Butts | |
| 17 | Hard Knocks BBQ | |
| 18 | STEAMBOAT BBQ-HOTDIGGITY HOG | |
| 19 | Wort Hawg BBQ | |
| 20 | BONEHEAD BBQ | |
| 21 | Big Buddha Q |