A statement win
13.1428
points clear of the field
Wider than 95% of the 616 championships in the data
The champion won by 13.1428 points — a wider margin than 95% of championships in the data.
Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
— · Fairbury, IL
Reps: Charlie Brinza, Jeanne Titus · Prize money: $1,850
Sermerstout BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) in Fairbury, IL, scoring 337.0972 in a field of 17 teams. 309 BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 323.9544. Category winners: Chicken — 692 BBQ (170.2744); Pork Ribs — Sermerstout BBQ (174.2744). The Other standings were won by DB BBQ 1 with 160.0228.
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.
267.87
median 305.59
337.10 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 170.27
- Pork Ribs 174.27
132.50
174.27
Entries
17
2 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
337.0972
Winning margin
13.1428
GC over RC
Field average
306.15
267.87337.10
median 305.59 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
12.5600 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
305.0172
267.87337.10
10th place overall
Field spread
69.2232
winner to last place
Prize money
$1,850
on the line
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 91%
beats 9% of 616 Backyard Series wins in the data
Storylines (4 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 dynasty in the making
3×
wins at this contest
3 of 6 tracked editions
Weez's Groovin' BBQ has won this contest 3 times across its 6 tracked editions.
- 2022
- 2024
- 2025
Photo finishes
0.0344
decided the closest call
Pork Ribs places 2–3: T Daddys BBQ edged RUBY CREEK BBQ by 0.0344.
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · 0.0344
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Shmack Q (won 2023).
- Shmack Q · 2023
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
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — ← this one | Fairbury, IL | Fairbury Fair Grounds | 17 | 337.0972 | SermerStout |
| Aug 20, 2022 | Fairbury, IL | Fairbury Fair Grounds | 20 | 341.1428 | Weez's Groovin' BBQ |
| Aug 19, 2023 | Fairbury, IL | Fairbury Fair Grounds | 32 | 342.8228 | Shmack Q |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Fairbury, IL | Fairbury Fair Grounds | 26 | 354.2628 | Weez's Groovin' BBQ |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Fairbury, IL | Fairbury Fair Grounds | 20 | 347.4400 | Weez's Groovin' BBQ |
| Aug 22, 2026 | Fairbury, IL | Fairbury Fair Grounds | 16 | 350.8572 | Wapatui Smokers |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 170.2744 | 157.7144 | 151.4400 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.2744 | 161.1088 | 151.9772 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Backyard Series
Overall
17 entries · top 337.0972 · median 305.5888
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sermerstout BBQ | |
| 2 | 309 BBQ | |
| 3 | 692 BBQ | |
| 4 | RUBY CREEK BBQ | |
| 5 | T Daddys BBQ | |
| 6 | BS BBQ | |
| 7 | EF-Q | |
| 8 | Loose Cannon BBQ | |
| 9 | Shmack Q | |
| 10 | Smoked Your Ace BBQ | |
| 11 | Fathead BBQ | |
| 12 | RocketQue | |
| 13 | 4 Dads of the Aporkalypse | |
| 14 | BONE STREET BARBEQUE | |
| 15 | Smoke & Brew BBQ | |
| 16 | Big House BBQ | |
| 17 | Porkfically Perfect BBQ |
Chicken
17 entries · top 170.2744 · median 154.2172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 692 BBQ | |
| 2 | 309 BBQ | |
| 3 | Sermerstout BBQ | |
| 4 | RUBY CREEK BBQ | |
| 5 | Fathead BBQ | |
| 6 | BS BBQ | |
| 7 | Smoked Your Ace BBQ | |
| 8 | T Daddys BBQ | |
| 9 | Shmack Q | |
| 10 | RocketQue | |
| 11 | BONE STREET BARBEQUE | |
| 12 | EF-Q | |
| 13 | Loose Cannon BBQ | |
| 14 | 4 Dads of the Aporkalypse | |
| 15 | Big House BBQ | |
| 16 | Smoke & Brew BBQ | |
| 17 | Porkfically Perfect BBQ |
Pork Ribs
17 entries · top 174.2744 · median 153.1544
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sermerstout BBQ | |
| 2 | T Daddys BBQ | |
| 3 | RUBY CREEK BBQ | |
| 4 | Loose Cannon BBQ | |
| 5 | EF-Q | |
| 6 | BS BBQ | |
| 7 | 309 BBQ | |
| 8 | Smoke & Brew BBQ | |
| 9 | 692 BBQ | |
| 10 | 4 Dads of the Aporkalypse | |
| 11 | Shmack Q | |
| 12 | Smoked Your Ace BBQ | |
| 13 | Big House BBQ | |
| 14 | RocketQue | |
| 15 | Fathead BBQ | |
| 16 | BONE STREET BARBEQUE | |
| 17 | Porkfically Perfect BBQ |
Other
Overall
4 entries · top 160.0228 · median 159.1486 · out of 180, not the usual 720
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DB BBQ 1 | |
| 2 | Seasonin Superhero | |
| 3 | Lil Tools BBQ | |
| 4 | DB BBQ 2 |
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.
Other — Kids Que 10 And Under
3 entries · top 160.0228 · median 159.4400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DB BBQ 1 | |
| 2 | Seasonin Superhero | |
| 3 | DB BBQ 2 |