In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in March 2026.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
The Smoke Ring
Competition Barbecue’s Paper of Record
The Index
- Grand Champions A2
- The Month in Brief A3
- Perfect Scores A5
- Ratings Market A6
- The Backyard A7
- New to the Circuit A8
- Box Scores B1
- Complete Results B4
- Back Issues C4
Score of the month
RAZORRACKS Turns In the Month’s Best Card
713.1200 out of 720 at Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship — the highest Master overall scored in March 2026.
top 1% of every Master overall ever scored
LEBANON, Tenn. — RAZORRACKS put up 713.1200 at Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship — the highest overall of the month.
Across March 2026, 27 sanctioned contests were scored, across 11 states and provinces, drawing 687 teams to the turn-in table. Judges made 868 top-ten calls and handed out 71 perfect 180s. 103 teams appear in the record for the first time. The full standings run on B1.
Every Grand Championship in this edition — 26 in all.
- 3 Eyz BBQ BBQ Gives Back (Day 2)
- 1Bite Stand Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- Mind if I Smoke? Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY)
- B's Que BBQ Gives Back (Day 1)
- Brinkerhoff BBQ Q's & Brews Bighorn BBQ Competition
- Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN)
- Rough Cut Q BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- Kermit's Ex Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge
- Justice BBQ BBQ Fest Panama
- Smoky Cotte Rocker's and Smoker's (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- BOARS BBQ TEAM CANAVESE Rocker's and Smoker's (ONE MEAT CHICKEN)
- Razorracks Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
- Alpine Smoke Works Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- Bourbon & Blues BBQ Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN)
- JDQ BBQ 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship
- Tillman's BBQ Torry Island BBQ Showdown
- Dawgs BBQ American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest
- Cynical BBQ Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest
- MUNNY'S STOVE University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest
- Southern Swine Foley BBQ & Blues Cook-Off (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Kings BBQ Team Jeepin 4 Justice
- South Brixia Barbecue W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- SMOKING BUTCHER W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol
- SMOKING BUTCHER W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol (ONE MEAT CHICKEN)
- Electro-Que-ted Sip & Swine BBQ Festival
- Justice BBQ Jaco Beach BBQ Challenge
Hottest hand
Two Grand Championships in Mar 2026 for Justice BBQ
Nobody else in the field ran a hotter hand.
2× Grand Championships
Justice BBQ took 2 Grand Championships in March 2026.
First one ever
Smoking Butcher Wins Its First, on the 10th Try
A first Grand Championship at W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol, after 10 contests in the record.
10th contest — and their first GC
MUHLWALD - SELVA DI MOLINI, BZ — Smoking Butcher won their first Grand Championship at W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol, in their 10th contest in the data.
Upset of the month
The Long Shot Comes In at 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship
The ratings gave JDQ BBQ a 14% chance, with SLAPS BBQ the team to beat.
14-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings
OLATHE, Kan. — JDQ BBQ won 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship over top-rated SLAPS BBQ as the ratings underdog.
Also in Mar 2026
Judges Hand Out 71 Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 71 perfect 180s were handed out in March 2026.
Decided by 0.0000 of a Point
NORALA BBQ TEAM edged Big James Kitchen by 0.0000 at Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship.
BROCK'S BBQ Back on Top After Two Years
BROCK'S BBQ won BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) — their first Grand Championship since March 2024, after 19 contests without one.
Clean Smoke BBQ Team Climbs 33 Rating Points
Clean Smoke BBQ Team gained 33 rating points across 3 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
Eleven State Champions Crowned
11 state championships were decided in March 2026. The biggest, Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (125 teams), went to Razorracks.
First Time Out, HevyQue BBQ Takes 1st
HevyQue BBQ finished 1st at American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
NORALA BBQ TEAM Tops the Backyard Board at Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
NORALA BBQ TEAM put up 358.8572 on the Backyard board at Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.
Justice BBQ Runs Away With BBQ Fest Panama
Justice BBQ won BBQ Fest Panama by 17.0284 points over Grill and Chill — the widest winning margin of the month.
125 Teams Roll Into Lebanon
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship drew 125 teams, and Razorracks won it.
Nobody Hauled Further Than SMOKIN SKULLIES
SMOKIN SKULLIES cooked 7 contests in March 2026 — nobody hauled the rig further.
RAZORRACKS Wins Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship Without Winning a Meat
RAZORRACKS won Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 2nd.
A New Contest Opens in Olathe
8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship ran for the first time on record, drawing 68 teams, and JDQ BBQ won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
Wapatui Smokers Takes Reserve Two Times
Wapatui Smokers finished second overall 2 times in March 2026 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.
Eight Contests on One Friday
8 sanctioned contests were cooked on 20 Mar alone.
Charlie Brinza Works Seven Contests
Charlie Brinza repped 7 contests in March 2026 — somebody has to run the table.
Perfect 180s
71 perfect scores — six judges, every card a nine.
- Pork Ribs ALL FIRED UP BBQ BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) · March 28
- Brisket B'S QUE BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) · March 28
- Pork 1Bite Stand Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge · March 27
- Brisket BLUE & GRAY BBQ BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) · March 27
- Pork Can Country Outlaw BBQ Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge · March 27
- Chicken DRY 2 DA BONE Q's & Brews Bighorn BBQ Competition · March 27
- Brisket HotMess BBQ BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) · March 27
- Brisket Kermit's Ex Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge · March 27
- Chicken LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ Q's & Brews Bighorn BBQ Competition · March 27
- Chicken MUTTLEY CREW BBQ BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) · March 27
- Pork Ribs Mind if I Smoke? Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) · March 27
- Chicken O.G. BANDITS Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge · March 27
- Brisket OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) · March 27
- Brisket Rowdy Pig Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge · March 27
- Brisket SHIG NINJA BBQ Q's & Brews Bighorn BBQ Competition · March 27
- Brisket Small Axe BBQ Q's & Brews Bighorn BBQ Competition · March 27
- Pork 2 Swine Crew Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship · March 20
- Brisket ALPINE SMOKE WORKS Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship · March 20
- Pork Ribs ALPINE SMOKE WORKS Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) · March 20
- Chicken BAD ROOSTER BBQ Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship · March 20
- Brisket BLUE CHIP BBQ Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship · March 20
- Chicken BULL MARKET BBQ Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest · March 20
- Chicken Barking Dog BBQ 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship · March 20
- Pork Ribs Big Cat BBQ Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest · March 20
…and 47 more.
The Ratings Market Power rating and the move over Mar 2026; # is the team’s place in the power rankings
| Team | Rating | Chg. |
|---|---|---|
| Clean Smoke BBQ Team #1,229 | 1,584 | ▲ 33 |
| PUDDLEDUCK BBQ #331 | 1,716 | ▲ 32 |
| B'S QUE #240 | 1,744 | ▲ 32 |
| Big James Kitchen #600 | 1,659 | ▲ 28 |
| Two Pigs And A Smoker #719 | 1,639 | ▲ 27 |
| With a 180 #876 | 1,619 | ▲ 27 |
| Southern Swine #889 | 1,618 | ▲ 27 |
| RobbieQ #1,333 | 1,577 | ▲ 27 |
| Team | Rating | Chg. |
|---|---|---|
| BROCK'S BBQ #550 | 1,669 | ▲ 26 |
| Wapatui Smokers #975 | 1,608 | ▲ 26 |
| TRIPLE H BBQ #14 | 1,896 | ▼ 24 |
| Mispillion Meat Works #303 | 1,724 | ▼ 27 |
| MAN MEAT BBQ #129 | 1,788 | ▼ 29 |
| Optimus Swine #230 | 1,748 | ▼ 30 |
| OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE #89 | 1,813 | ▼ 32 |
Full power rankings → · Ratings move only on rated contests; invitationals and non-points events are excluded.
The Backyard Two meats, out of 360 — never against the Master board
The Backyard division was cooked at ten contests in Mar 2026.
- 1 NORALA BBQ TEAM Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship · Lebanon, Tenn. 358.8572
- 2 Big James Kitchen Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship · Lebanon, Tenn. 358.8572
- 3 Southern Swine Foley BBQ & Blues Cook-Off (BACKYARD ONLY) · Foley, Ala. 357.7028
- 4 Big & Ugly BBQ Jeepin 4 Justice · Shady Hills, Fla. 357.1428
- 5 Mind if I Smoke? Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) · Athens, Ala. 356.5716
- 6 BROCK'S BBQ BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) · Urbanna, Va. 354.8572
- 7 Big James Kitchen Sip & Swine BBQ Festival · Lawrenceville, Ga. 354.2744
- 8 HORMONAL ESCAPE COMPETITION BBQ Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge · St. Robert, Mo. 354.2744
- 9 PUDDLEDUCK BBQ Sip & Swine BBQ Festival · Lawrenceville, Ga. 353.1316
- 10 WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship · Lebanon, Tenn. 353.1200
The Backyard series in full → · Its own record board, its own champions and its own Team of the Year.
New to the Circuit First appearance anywhere in the record — the figure is their best finish
- 1st HevyQue BBQ American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off
- 1st Navin's Backyard BBQ Torry Island BBQ Showdown
- 4th Los Maes BBQ Team Costa Rica Jaco Beach BBQ Challenge
- 4th Pahokee O's BBQ Team Jeepin 4 Justice
- 5th Sasquatch Smoke N Que American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off
- 5th T-Rex Rub BBQ Team Torry Island BBQ Showdown
- 5th The Local Que BBQ & Catering Jeepin 4 Justice
- 5th Urban Smoke House BBQ Fest Panama
- 7th 10 In The Pit BBQ American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest
- 7th Smokin' Hot & Dirty Torry Island BBQ Showdown
- 8th Alaska BBQ Mann Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge
- 9th Bailout Barbecue BBQ Gives Back (Day 2)
- 9th Flame Forged BBQ Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge
- 9th Mad Puppy Jeepin 4 Justice
- 9th Tico BBQ Club Jaco Beach BBQ Challenge
- 10th Blue Hound Barbecue Sip & Swine BBQ Festival
- 10th Jarassic Bark Torry Island BBQ Showdown
- 10th Sandbar Smokers Torry Island BBQ Showdown
What a first season usually looks like → · 8 contests also ran for the first time on record: 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship, Q's & Brews Bighorn BBQ Competition, Jeepin 4 Justice, Rocker's and Smoker's (ONE MEAT RIBS), Rocker's and Smoker's (ONE MEAT CHICKEN), W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol (ONE MEAT RIBS), W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol, W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol (ONE MEAT CHICKEN).
Best of Each Meat
Both series, out of 180
| Meat | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken†26 | WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ Sip & Swine BBQ Festival |
180 |
| Pork Ribs†11 | Smoking Butcher W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol |
180 |
| Pork†18 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN Sip & Swine BBQ Festival |
180 |
| Brisket†16 | Optimus Swine Sip & Swine BBQ Festival |
180 |
† a perfect 180 was scored in this category during the edition.
Who Showed Up
Contests · Grand Championships · best overall finish
| Team | C | GC | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMOKIN SKULLIES | 7 | — | 7 |
| Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | 7 | — | 17 |
| House of Que | 7 | — | 18 |
| Rollin Smoke BBQ | 6 | — | 2 |
| The Swine Doctor's BBQ | 6 | — | 10 |
| Bourbon & Blues BBQ | 6 | — | 11 |
| OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | 6 | — | 12 |
| PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | 5 | — | 2 |
| OnlyCans Competition BBQ | 5 | — | 3 |
| RobbieQ | 5 | — | 3 |
| Clean Smoke BBQ Team | 5 | — | 4 |
| SOUTH BRIXIA | 5 | — | 7 |
| FIRE & SHINE BBQ | 5 | — | 9 |
| Art Razza Piave Bbq | 5 | — | 10 |
| Dr. Smoke | 5 | — | 20 |
Who Ran the Table
Contests worked · states & provinces
| Rep | C | St. |
|---|---|---|
| Charlie Brinza | 7 | 4 |
| Jeanne Titus | 6 | 3 |
| Luca Famigli | 5 | 1 |
| Roberto Sirok | 5 | 1 |
| Alex Jr Brown | 4 | 1 |
| Regina Bodnar | 4 | 1 |
| Carolyn Wells | 3 | 1 |
| Connie Amidei | 3 | 1 |
| David Burstein | 3 | 1 |
| Jonathan Amidei | 3 | 1 |
| Carol Bigler | 2 | 1 |
| David Dyche | 2 | 1 |
| Jo Dyche | 2 | 1 |
| Louise Weidner | 2 | 1 |
| Mike Garretson | 2 | 1 |
| Randy G Bigler | 2 | 1 |
| Wayne Harper | 2 | 2 |
| Bunny Tuttle | 1 | 1 |
| Dave Rogers | 1 | 1 |
| Debra Gage | 1 | — |
Where They Cooked
Contests · teams
| State/Prov. | C | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 4 | 72 |
| Virginia | 4 | 65 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 182 |
| BZ | 3 | 14 |
| Alabama | 2 | 85 |
| Florida | 2 | 74 |
| Georgia | 1 | 77 |
| Kansas | 1 | 68 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 37 |
| Arizona | 1 | 33 |
| California | 1 | 28 |
Every sanctioned contest scored in this edition — 27 in all, newest first. Click a column head to sort; click a row for the contest.
Contests Advertised
- Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) — Friday, Oct. 23. West Creek, N.J. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) — Friday, Oct. 23. West Creek, N.J. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition — Friday, Oct. 23. Vidalia, La. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild — Friday, Oct. 23. Branson, Mo. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- The Butcher's Smoke & Flames Barbeque Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) — Friday, Oct. 23. Cullman, Ala. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Foothills Smoke-Off Challenge — Friday, Oct. 23. Lenoir, N.C. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) — Saturday, Oct. 24. West Creek, N.J. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT RIBS) — Saturday, Oct. 24. West Creek, N.J. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
Map what is in driving range → · subscribe to the calendar → · the judging notices → · the whole calendar →
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