Apr 8–9, 2022 · Osage City, KS · 📍 517 South 1st Street
Reps: Clara Williams, Dave Rogers, Forrest Bruce, Larry Hadley, Peg Rogers · Prize money: $2,500
PIT CREW BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke in the Spring (Steak) on April 8, 2022 in Osage City, KS at 517 South 1st Street, scoring 175.4172 in a field of 13 teams. Flying W North BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 174.2972. This is the 10th of 14 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Last Call Heroes BBQ; the next was held in 2023.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2026 — 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 89 times in 100
Pit Crew BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, MAN MEAT BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 11-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
2 of 14 tracked editions
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 14 tracked editions.
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 3.3944 points.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2013 | Osage City, KS | Osage City, KS | 71 | 685.7142 | GRILLIN' BEAVERS | PELLET ENVY |
| Apr 11, 2014 | Osage City, KS | Osage City, KS 66523 | 73 | 689.6916 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | CHICKHOOVENSWINE BBQ |
| Apr 10, 2015 | Osage City, KS | Osage City, KS 66523 | 97 | 698.2516 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | SMOKE N BABES BBQ |
| Apr 8, 2016 | Osage City, KS | Osage City, KS | 109 | 700.5144 | CLARK CREW BBQ | LUCKY'S Q |
| Apr 7, 2017 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st St (Jones Park) | 100 | 700.0116 | CLARK CREW BBQ | THE SMOKING HILLS |
| Apr 6, 2018 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st St (Jones Park) | 103 | 699.3712 | HOGLINE | 4 LEGS UP BBQ |
| Oct 30, 2020 | Osage City, KS | Jones Park (in Osage City) | 93 | 706.2744 | Tebo Creek BBQ | TRIPLE H BBQ |
| Apr 9, 2021 | Osage City, KS | Jones Park (in Osage City) | 105 | 703.4400 | Piggin Whiskey O.G. | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD |
| Apr 8, 2022 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 94 | 700.0228 | Last Call Heroes BBQ | HIGH i QUE |
| Apr 8, 2022 ← this one | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 7, 2023 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 103 | 707.9772 | Janky Leg BBQ | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ |
| Apr 5, 2024 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 97 | 706.2628 | Burnt Trees | Damn Fine Beef & Swine |
| Apr 11, 2025 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 92 | 708.6060 | Parts 'R' Smokin | Cow Creek BBQ |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 101 | 709.7028 | Blind Fox BBQ | SLAPS BBQ |
13 entries · top 175.4172 · median 170.2856 · out of 180, not the usual 720
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 2 | Flying W North BBQ | |
| 3 | Can Country Outlaw BBQ | |
| 4 | PIRATES OF BAR-B-QUE BAY | |
| 5 | Breaking Slabs BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKIN ELVISES | |
| 7 | MOKAN BBQ MOB | |
| 8 | Overland Pork BBQ | |
| 9 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 10 | 777 BBQ | |
| 11 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 12 | Twisted-Q | |
| 13 | SCORE ONE SMOKIN' |
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.
13 entries · top 175.4172 · median 170.2856
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 2 | Flying W North BBQ | |
| 3 | Can Country Outlaw BBQ | |
| 4 | PIRATES OF BAR-B-QUE BAY | |
| 5 | Breaking Slabs BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKIN ELVISES | |
| 7 | MOKAN BBQ MOB | |
| 8 | Overland Pork BBQ | |
| 9 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 10 | 777 BBQ | |
| 11 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 12 | Twisted-Q | |
| 13 | SCORE ONE SMOKIN' |