Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
2022-07-15 – 2022-07-16 · Eureka, IL · 📍 112 N Main St · State championship
Reps: DAVE ROGERS, PEG ROGERS · Prize money: $5,025.00
Grand Champion: Que U (705.6916) · 25 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 TRIPLE H BBQ
Entries
25
6 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
705.6916
Winning margin
8.0112
GC over RC
Field average
671.05
median 672.41
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
1.1544 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
679.3028
10th place overall
Field spread
86.4460
winner to last place
Prize money
$5,025.00
on the line
Double threats
8
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 20%
beats 80% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
23%
of the 39 teams with a home region came from outside IL
Came back for more
24%
15 of 62 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.62 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1553
avg power rating going in · stronger than 58% of contests
Storylines
👑 A dynasty in the making
Triple H BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 7 tracked editions.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
QUE U took the Grand Championship home to WI.
🧹 A double category winner
QUE U won Pork, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
📸 Photo finishes
Master Series — Chicken places 1–2: TRIPLE H BBQ and JaBs BBQ tied on 177.1544 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 4–5: QUE U and AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW tied on 176.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 6–7: WE WILL ROCK QUE and THE BBQ BUS tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-07-19 | Peoria, IL | 200 NE Water St | 40 | 704.5372 | Heavy Smoke STL | SMOKE FREAKS |
| 2022-07-15 ← this one | Eureka, IL | 112 N Main St | 25 | 705.6916 | Que U | TRIPLE H BBQ |
| 2022-07-15 | Eureka, IL | 112 N Main St | 19 | 177.7028 | Triple H BBQ | — |
| 2023-07-14 | Eureka, IL | 506 Reagan Dr | 25 | 690.7540 | Triple H BBQ | Heavy Smoke BBQ |
| 2023-07-14 | Eureka, IL | 506 Reagan Dr | 15 | 180.0000 | Smokinghostbbq | — |
| 2025-06-27 | Eureka, IL | 1448 County Rd 800 N | 26 | 706.8344 | Can Country Outlaw BBQ | TRIPLE H BBQ |
| 2025-06-27 | Eureka, IL | 1448 County Rd 800 N | 15 | 178.2972 | LEE LA Q | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 177.1544 | 176.0000 | 172.0000 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 177.1428 | 171.9772 | 169.6916 |
| Master Series — Pork | 178.8572 | 172.5600 | 170.8228 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 178.8572 | 172.5600 | 170.2628 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 174.8572 | 163.3828 | 155.4288 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 169.7028 | 166.2400 | 155.3600 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
25 entries · top 705.6916 · median 672.4112
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | QUE U | |
| 2 | TRIPLE H BBQ | |
| 3 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 4 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 5 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 6 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 7 | Risky Brisket | |
| 8 | UP FROM THE PITS BBQ | |
| 9 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 10 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 11 | DB BBQ | |
| 12 | HEFTY LEFTY BBQ | |
| 13 | The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company | |
| 14 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 15 | BBQ Maestros | |
| 16 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 17 | Chasin Chicken Barbeque | |
| 18 | FIRST CLASS BBQ | |
| 19 | OINK-A-DOODLE-MOO 1559 | |
| 20 | Mediocre BBQ | |
| 21 | MOON KING BBQ | |
| 22 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 23 | SAUCED N SMOKED | |
| 24 | Smokin at Noonish | |
| 25 | Del Rio BBQ |
Chicken
25 entries · top 177.1544 · median 170.8112
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TRIPLE H BBQ | |
| 2 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 3 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 4 | QUE U | |
| 5 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 6 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 7 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 8 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 9 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 10 | UP FROM THE PITS BBQ | |
| 11 | OINK-A-DOODLE-MOO 1559 | |
| 12 | DB BBQ | |
| 13 | Risky Brisket | |
| 14 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 15 | MOON KING BBQ | |
| 16 | The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company | |
| 17 | Mediocre BBQ | |
| 18 | SAUCED N SMOKED | |
| 19 | HEFTY LEFTY BBQ | |
| 20 | BBQ Maestros | |
| 21 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 22 | Chasin Chicken Barbeque | |
| 23 | FIRST CLASS BBQ | |
| 24 | Del Rio BBQ | |
| 25 | Smokin at Noonish |
Pork Ribs
25 entries · top 177.1428 · median 168.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Risky Brisket | |
| 2 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 3 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 4 | Chasin Chicken Barbeque | |
| 5 | TRIPLE H BBQ | |
| 6 | QUE U | |
| 7 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 8 | BBQ Maestros | |
| 9 | The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company | |
| 10 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 11 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 12 | OINK-A-DOODLE-MOO 1559 | |
| 13 | Mediocre BBQ | |
| 14 | UP FROM THE PITS BBQ | |
| 15 | MOON KING BBQ | |
| 16 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 17 | DB BBQ | |
| 18 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 19 | HEFTY LEFTY BBQ | |
| 20 | SAUCED N SMOKED | |
| 21 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 22 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 23 | FIRST CLASS BBQ | |
| 24 | Del Rio BBQ | |
| 25 | Smokin at Noonish |
Pork
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.1544
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | QUE U | |
| 2 | HEFTY LEFTY BBQ | |
| 3 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 4 | FIRST CLASS BBQ | |
| 5 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 6 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 7 | BBQ Maestros | |
| 8 | TRIPLE H BBQ | |
| 9 | UP FROM THE PITS BBQ | |
| 10 | DB BBQ | |
| 11 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 12 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 13 | Smokin at Noonish | |
| 14 | The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company | |
| 15 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 16 | Risky Brisket | |
| 17 | Mediocre BBQ | |
| 18 | Chasin Chicken Barbeque | |
| 19 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 20 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 21 | MOON KING BBQ | |
| 22 | OINK-A-DOODLE-MOO 1559 | |
| 23 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 24 | SAUCED N SMOKED | |
| 25 | Del Rio BBQ |
Brisket
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.9656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | QUE U | |
| 2 | TRIPLE H BBQ | |
| 3 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 4 | FIRST CLASS BBQ | |
| 5 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 6 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 7 | DB BBQ | |
| 8 | UP FROM THE PITS BBQ | |
| 9 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 10 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 11 | Risky Brisket | |
| 12 | Chasin Chicken Barbeque | |
| 13 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 14 | BBQ Maestros | |
| 15 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | |
| 16 | HEFTY LEFTY BBQ | |
| 17 | Del Rio BBQ | |
| 18 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 19 | The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company | |
| 20 | OINK-A-DOODLE-MOO 1559 | |
| 21 | Smokin at Noonish | |
| 22 | Mediocre BBQ | |
| 23 | MOON KING BBQ | |
| 24 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 25 | SAUCED N SMOKED |
Backyard Series
Overall
14 entries · top 342.2516 · median 322.5028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ham Squad | |
| 2 | WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | |
| 3 | Swine N’ Dine BBQ | |
| 4 | 309 BBQ | |
| 5 | Stone Cold Grillers | |
| 6 | Ishy Links BBQ | |
| 7 | BBQ MIKE | |
| 8 | Sermerstout BBQ | |
| 9 | Shmack Q | |
| 10 | Loose Cannon BBQ | |
| 11 | Sugar Creek BBQ | |
| 12 | Porky Joe's BBQ | |
| 13 | Truck'n Sauced | |
| 14 | Top Row Que |
Chicken
14 entries · top 174.8572 · median 160.5486
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ham Squad | |
| 2 | Swine N’ Dine BBQ | |
| 3 | 309 BBQ | |
| 4 | WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | |
| 5 | Shmack Q | |
| 6 | BBQ MIKE | |
| 7 | Stone Cold Grillers | |
| 8 | Ishy Links BBQ | |
| 9 | Loose Cannon BBQ | |
| 10 | Sugar Creek BBQ | |
| 11 | Sermerstout BBQ | |
| 12 | Truck'n Sauced | |
| 13 | Top Row Que | |
| 14 | Porky Joe's BBQ |
Pork Ribs
14 entries · top 169.7028 · median 161.3944
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ishy Links BBQ | |
| 2 | Stone Cold Grillers | |
| 3 | Ham Squad | |
| 4 | WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | |
| 5 | Sermerstout BBQ | |
| 6 | 309 BBQ | |
| 7 | BBQ MIKE | |
| 8 | Swine N’ Dine BBQ | |
| 9 | Loose Cannon BBQ | |
| 10 | Shmack Q | |
| 11 | Porky Joe's BBQ | |
| 12 | Sugar Creek BBQ | |
| 13 | Top Row Que | |
| 14 | Truck'n Sauced |
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.
Turkey Smoke Series — Turkey Smoke
23 entries · top 174.8456 · median 165.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RUSTY PIG BBQ | |
| 2 | Swine N’ Dine BBQ | |
| 3 | Shmack Q | |
| 4 | TRIPLE H BBQ | |
| 5 | Mediocre BBQ | |
| 6 | WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | |
| 7 | SAUCED N SMOKED | |
| 8 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 9 | SmokinGhost BBQ | |
| 10 | The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company | |
| 11 | Ham Squad | |
| 12 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 13 | BBQ Maestros | |
| 14 | UP FROM THE PITS BBQ | |
| 15 | SI2 BBQ | |
| 16 | FIRST CLASS BBQ | |
| 17 | Del Rio BBQ | |
| 18 | OINK-A-DOODLE-MOO 1559 | |
| 19 | Chasin Chicken Barbeque | |
| 20 | GOT SMOKED - IL | |
| 21 | Sermerstout BBQ | |
| 22 | JaBs BBQ | |
| 23 | DB BBQ |