Sep 16–18, 2021 · Kansas City, KS · 📍 Kansas Speedway · State championship
Reps: Bunny Tuttle, Forrest Bruce, Karen Jane Williams, Kim Collier, Larry Hadley, Mark Collier, Mike Lake, Ralph Williams, Rich Tuttle, Scott Grinstead, Steve Grinstead, Theresa Lake · Prize money: $37,965
TRIPLE H BBQ won Grand Champion at the American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST on September 16, 2021 in Kansas City, KS at Kansas Speedway, scoring 708.5372 in a field of 185 teams. SIN CIRCLE BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 703.9884. Category winners: Chicken — Smoking OCD (180.0000); Pork Ribs — SMOKE THIS BBQ MO (180.0000); Pork — GETTIN' SAUCED (179.4400); Brisket — FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX (180.0000). This is the 1st of 4 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2022.
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, 2021 to 2023 — 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.
TRIPLE H BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 2 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
9 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
Chicken places 1–2: Smoking OCD and CHICKEN FRIED BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 2–3: CHICKEN FRIED BBQ and QUENUT BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: Rogue Hog BBQ and MAN MEAT BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Bigger than 99% of the 5,462 contests in the data
185 teams — bigger than 99% of the 5,462 contests in the data.
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2021 ← this one | Kansas City, KS | Kansas Speedway | 185 | 708.5372 | TRIPLE H BBQ | SIN CIRCLE BBQ |
| Sep 29, 2022 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas City, KS 66111 | 249 | 711.9656 | QUE U | Bushmaster BBQ |
| Sep 27, 2023 | Kansas City, KS | Kansas City, KS 66111 | 211 | 706.8572 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | Damn Fine Beef & Swine |
| Sep 30, 2026 | Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 178.8800 | 178.8572 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 179.4400 | 178.2972 |
| Pork | 179.4400 | 178.8572 | 177.7144 |
| Brisket | 180 | 179.4400 | 177.7372 |
185 entries · top 708.5372 · median 681.0168
185 entries · top 180 · median 170.8344 · 🔥 perfect 180
185 entries · top 180 · median 170.8344 · 🔥 perfect 180
185 entries · top 179.4400 · median 170.8228
185 entries · top 180 · median 169.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180