A first Grand Championship
11
tracked contests to get there
This was Smokey Bey's Barbecue's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 11th tracked contest.
Car-B-Que (BACKYARD ONLY) 2023
Sep 8–9, 2023 · Belton, MO · 📍 998 Commercial
Reps: Alfred T Bowen, Fran Bowen · Prize money: $3,000
Smokey Bey's Barbecue won Grand Champion at the Car-B-Que (BACKYARD ONLY) on September 8, 2023 in Belton, MO at 998 Commercial, scoring 350.8344 in a field of 11 teams. Fluffy Butt BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 348.5256. Category winners: Chicken — Smokey Bey's Barbecue (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Smoke This Drink That BBQ (180.0000). This is the 2nd of 2 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by SWINE-O-LICIOUS BBQ.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
298.18
median 339.39
350.83 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 180 🔥
145.65
180
Entries
11
2 judged meats
Top score
350.8344
Winning margin
2.3088
GC over RC
Field average
335.62
298.18350.83
median 339.39 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
9.1656 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
324.4456
298.18350.83
10th place overall
Field spread
52.6516
winner to last place
Prize money
$3,000
on the line
Double threats
3
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 40%
beats 60% of 610 Backyard Series wins in the data
Came back for more
31%
4 of 13 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.78 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,545
avg power rating going in · stronger than 33% of contests
Storylines (4 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Photo finishes
0.0116
decided the closest call
Pork Ribs places 7–8: Bushwood BBQ edged Bad Influence BBQ - MO by 0.0116.
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · 0.0116
A contest record in pork ribs
180.0000
best pork ribs ever cooked here
Smoke This Drink That BBQ turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 178.8572 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 178.8572
- across 1 past editions
A perfect score on the table
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- Smokey Bey's Barbecue · Chicken
- Smoke This Drink That BBQ · Pork Ribs
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)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 9, 2022 | Belton, MO | 998 Commercial | 13 | 358.8572 | SWINE-O-LICIOUS BBQ |
| Sep 8, 2023 ← this one | Belton, MO | 998 Commercial | 11 | 350.8344 | Smokey Bey's Barbecue |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 169.1200 | 157.0512 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 170.8344 | 162.8000 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Backyard Series
Overall
11 entries · top 350.8344 · median 339.3944
Chicken
11 entries · top 180 · median 167.3828 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
11 entries · top 180 · median 170.2744 · 🔥 perfect 180