Sep 8–9, 2023 · Waller, TX · 📍 Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park · State championship
Reps: Karen Jane Williams, Ralph Williams · Prize money: $35,000
Race Crew Drum Smokers won Grand Champion at the Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff on September 8, 2023 in Waller, TX at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, scoring 693.1660 in a field of 99 teams. Team Chupacabra took Reserve Grand Champion with 691.9656. Category winners: Chicken — Hickory Lodge BBQ (177.7372); Pork Ribs — Bullhorn BBQ (179.4400); Pork — Race Crew Drum Smokers (178.8800); Brisket — Race Crew Drum Smokers (177.7372). This is the 1st of 3 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2024.
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, 2023 to 2025 — 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 77% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.2004 points — closer than 77% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 85 times in 100
Race Crew Drum Smokers came in rated below the field's top team, Meat Candy Q, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 15-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was Race Crew Drum Smokers's first Grand Championship in the data.
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 2.8804 points.
Race Crew Drum Smokers finished 1st overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
Chicken places 1–2: Hickory Lodge BBQ and Boozey Que tied on 177.7372 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 2–3: East Texas Smokers and Lobos Den BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 2–3: Bubba Fats and Pitfather BBQ tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Race Crew Drum Smokers won Pork, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
Race Crew Drum Smokers took the title on 2 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was chicken at 48th.
Bigger than 98% of the 5,469 contests in the data
99 teams — bigger than 98% of the 5,469 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 8, 2023 ← this one | Waller, TX | Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park | 99 | 693.1660 | Race Crew Drum Smokers | Team Chupacabra |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Waller, TX | Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park | 67 | 694.3772 | Chillin & Grillin Texas BBQ | Flying G BBQ |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Waller, TX | Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park | 92 | 698.8344 | Rio Valley Meat BBQ | The Pitfather BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7372 | 175.4628 | 174.2856 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 177.1428 | 174.8572 |
| Pork | 178.8800 | 177.7144 | 174.9144 |
| Brisket | 177.7372 | 176.5600 | 173.1200 |
99 entries · top 693.1660 · median 662.2284
98 entries · top 177.7372 · median 166.2514
99 entries · top 179.4400 · median 167.3944
99 entries · top 178.8800 · median 166.8684
98 entries · top 177.7372 · median 163.9828