Oct 14–15, 2022 · Lynchburg, TN · 📍 Wiseman Park
Reps: Carolyn Wells, Charlie Brinza, Roxanne Gould
Heavy Smoke BBQ won Grand Champion at the Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) on October 14, 2022 in Lynchburg, TN at Wiseman Park, scoring 703.4056 in a field of 83 teams. GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 702.3428. Category winners: Chicken — JANKY LEG BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — LAST CALL HEROES BBQ (180.0000); Pork — RJs Smokehouse (180.0000); Brisket — SLAPS BBQ (180.0000). This is the 2nd of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2013 edition was won by COOL SMOKE; the next was held in 2023.
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, 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.
Closer than 85% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.0628 points — closer than 85% of every championship in the data.
703.4056 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 693.1200 COOL SMOKE set in 2013.
Heavy Smoke BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
5 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
Chicken places 3–4: Vallee A/C Cold Smoke and TIRE SMOKE BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: TIRE SMOKE BBQ and 4 LEGS UP BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: 4 LEGS UP BBQ and Organizer Portal tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
RJs Smokehouse turned in 180.0000 in pork — past the 176.5600 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
Bigger than 97% of the 5,482 contests in the data
83 teams — bigger than 97% of the 5,482 contests in the data.
This contest was away for 9 years — the previous tracked edition ran on 2013-10-25.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25, 2013 | Lynchburg, TN | Lynchburg, TN | 97 | 693.1200 | COOL SMOKE | A BOY & HIS BBQ |
| Oct 14, 2022 ← this one | Lynchburg, TN | Wiseman Park | 83 | 703.4056 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Lynchburg, TN | Wiseman Park | 81 | 699.4056 | Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | B'Mackin BBQ |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Lynchburg, TN | Wiseman Park | 87 | 702.8228 | Scuffletown Smokers | JANKY LEG BBQ |
| Oct 10, 2025 | Lynchburg, TN | Wiseman Park | 90 | 710.8684 | Kings BBQ Team | — |
| Oct 9, 2026 | Lynchburg, TN | Wiseman Park | 99 | 709.7144 | SmellaQue | B's Que |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 176.5600 | 175.4400 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 177.7372 | 176 |
| Pork | 180 | 176.5828 | 174.8456 |
| Brisket | 180 | 176 | 174.8800 |
83 entries · top 703.4056 · median 674.7884
83 entries · top 180 · median 168.5256 · 🔥 perfect 180
83 entries · top 180 · median 170.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
83 entries · top 180 · median 169.7028 · 🔥 perfect 180
83 entries · top 180 · median 169.1084 · 🔥 perfect 180
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.
37 entries · top 180 · median 171.4056 · 🔥 perfect 180
54 entries · top 180 · median 174 · 🔥 perfect 180
74 entries · top 179.4400 · median 170.8170