In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in July 2017 — 1 Jul to 31 Jul.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
July 2017 in BBQ
The recap: every contest scored, every story, every board
Inside
The Stories
Score of the month
top 1% of every Master overall ever scored
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ put up 713.7028 at Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In (Day 2) — the highest overall of the month.
Hottest hand
Fergolicious BBQ took 3 Grand Championships in July 2017.
They will not let it go
LUCKY'S Q won BBQ 'Loo & Blues TOO! again — 3 straight editions of this contest.
- 2015–2017
- field of 33
First one ever
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ won their first Grand Championship at SC Festival of Discovery (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES), in their 74th contest in the data.
- 6 Jul
By invitation only
BBQ LONGHORN RANCH HANDS won Prime UVE INVITATIONAL BARBECUE CHAMPIONSHIP, best of 18 invited teams; MISS PIGGY'S U.K. took reserve. An invite-only field, so it leaves the power rating alone and goes straight into the record book.
- top score 694.8340
- not in the power rating
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 9% chance
BALLS OUT BBQ won Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) over top-rated WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 32 perfect 180s were handed out in July 2017.
- Chicken ×10
- Pork ×9
- Brisket ×9
- Pork Ribs ×4
Closest call
HIGH i QUE edged 913 BBQ by 0.0116 at Wolf Creek Wildblue BBQ.
- Master Series
Back on top
LOCAL SMOKE BBQ won New Jersey State Barbecue Championship — their first Grand Championship since July 2013, after 18 contests without one.
- last won July 2013
- 18 contests in between
Contest record
One2BBQ put up 702.8000 at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour — the best overall in 5 editions of the contest on record, past the old mark of 689.1428.
- old record 689.1428
- 4 earlier editions
Near sweep
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ won 3 of 4 meats at Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-Heat 2 (pork ribs, pork and brisket), and the Grand Championship with them.
- Pork Ribs
- Pork
- Brisket
- and the GC
Biggest riser
SMOKE FREAKS gained 45 rating points across 5 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 5 contests
- now #108 overall
Best debut
BALLS OUT BBQ finished 1st at Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 262 new teams in Jul 2017
- field of 25
Biggest blowout
GOOD SMOKE BBQ won Rotary Ribs and Rhythm & Blues by 18.8572 points over SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 25
Biggest field
SC Festival of Discovery (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) drew 89 teams, and MUTTLEY CREW BBQ won it.
- Greenwood, SC
Milestone
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ cooked their 150th contest on record at 10th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff, with 23 Grand Championships along the way.
- 23 GCs along the way
Road warriors
CONTAGIOUS Q cooked 6 contests in July 2017 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 3rd
Won without a meat
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ won SC Festival of Discovery (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 2nd.
- field of 89
New on the calendar
Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-Heat1 ran for the first time on record, drawing 58 teams, and CLARK CREW BBQ won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 12 first editions in Jul 2017
- Green Bay, WI
Always the reserve
MISS PIGGY'S U.K. finished second overall 2 times in July 2017 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.
- 2 contests
Busiest weekend
13 sanctioned contests were cooked on 28 Jul alone.
- 28 Jul
The Boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×10 💯 | ELI'S PIT CREW Red White Blue and Que Presented by Lucas Oil Speedway |
180 |
| Pork Ribs ×4 💯 | SMOKING BUTT HEADS Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In (Day 2) |
180 |
| Pork ×9 💯 | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC SC Festival of Discovery (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) |
180 |
| Brisket ×9 💯 | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC SC Festival of Discovery (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) |
180 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 8 more in July 2017.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Jul 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| SMOKE FREAKS No. 108 in the power rankings |
1,803 | +45 |
| WHITEWATER BBQ COMPANY No. 497 in the power rankings |
1,677 | +44 |
| SMOKE ON THIS No. 175 in the power rankings |
1,767 | +34 |
| SCHLUCHTENGRILLER BBQ No. 637 in the power rankings |
1,653 | +30 |
| BAD HABIT BBQ No. 292 in the power rankings |
1,726 | +28 |
| SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS No. 128 in the power rankings |
1,788 | +27 |
| Pistol Packin' Piggies No. 977 in the power rankings |
1,608 | +26 |
| MOON RIVER BARBEQUE No. 852 in the power rankings |
1,622 | +26 |
| Mac Attack BBQ No. 504 in the power rankings |
1,676 | +25 |
| DUCE'S WILD No. 496 in the power rankings |
1,678 | +24 |
| 151 BAR B Q | 1,460 | -22 |
| WING-A-LINGS BBQ No. 5,807 in the power rankings |
1,442 | -22 |
| Smoke-A-Holics No. 1,038 in the power rankings |
1,601 | -23 |
| LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ No. 5,257 in the power rankings |
1,457 | -30 |
| 270 SMOKERS No. 177 in the power rankings |
1,766 | -30 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| CONTAGIOUS Q | 6 | — | 3 |
| Fergolicious BBQ | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| CLARK CREW BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| DIRT ROAD BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Organizer Portal | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 5 | — | 2 |
| SMOKE FREAKS | 5 | — | 3 |
| SMOKING BUTT HEADS | 5 | — | 6 |
| HIGH ON THE HAWG | 5 | — | 7 |
| UNCLE TOAD'S COMPETITION BBQ | 5 | — | 8 |
| IN DEEP SAUCE | 5 | — | 9 |
| B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 4 | 175 |
| Missouri | 4 | 160 |
| California | 4 | 150 |
| Iowa | 3 | 88 |
| Illinois | 3 | 86 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 86 |
| New York | 3 | 79 |
| Indiana | 3 | 74 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 102 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 60 |
| Virginia | 2 | 45 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 67 |
| Alabama | 1 | 66 |
| Georgia | 1 | 57 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 51 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 48 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 47 |
| Colorado | 1 | 46 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 46 |
| Ohio | 1 | 41 |
By invitation (invite-only fields)
| Contest | Teams | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|
| Prime UVE Invitational Barbecue Championship Jul 1, 2017 · Gaiarine, Italy |
18 | BBQ LONGHORN RANCH HANDS |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-Heat1 Green Bay, WI |
58 | CLARK CREW BBQ |
| Smoke in the Grove (JUDGES FULL) Spring Grove, PA |
51 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ |
| Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-Heat 2 Green Bay, WI |
49 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Cookin On Kampeska Watertown, SD |
48 | Fergolicious BBQ |
| Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) Peoria, IL |
48 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Riverfest Community Festival Bellevue, NE |
46 | DIRT ROAD BBQ |
| Dodge City Days National Beef Smokin' Saddles BBQ Contest Dodge City, KS |
43 | LUCKY D'S BBQ |
| Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off Kettering, OH |
41 | BLUE CHIP BBQ |
| The Georgia Smithfield Guinea Pig Cummings, GA |
41 | THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ |
| 2nd Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival Bad Bellingen, Germany |
40 | SCHLUCHTENGRILLER BBQ |
| 8th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL) Vista, CA |
40 | ZZYZX BAR.B.Q |
| BBQ & BREWS Birch Run, MI |
37 | GREY STREET BBQ |
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Every contest scored (54 in July 2017)
The Archive
Every month with scored results, back to the start of the data. Subscribe to the monthly feed and each one lands as it closes.
2026 (338 contests) · the 2026 season in review
2025 (386 contests) · the 2025 season in review
2024 (343 contests) · the 2024 season in review
2023 (376 contests) · the 2023 season in review
2022 (376 contests) · the 2022 season in review
2021 (310 contests) · the 2021 season in review
2020 (134 contests) · the 2020 season in review
2019 (430 contests) · the 2019 season in review
2018 (480 contests) · the 2018 season in review
2017 (517 contests) · the 2017 season in review
2016 (505 contests) · the 2016 season in review
2015 (494 contests) · the 2015 season in review
2014 (469 contests) · the 2014 season in review
2013 (436 contests) · the 2013 season in review
2012 (1 contest) · the 2012 season in review
Every figure here is computed from the public results at kcbs.us, refreshed nightly. The Smoke Ring is not a publication of the Kansas City Barbeque Society.