Most runner-up finishes without a title
The cruellest record in the book. Every team here has stood on the stage second, and never once first.
7
reserve championships, no GC
- Set 9 Aug 2025
- How across 53 contests, still waiting
- Standing held outright
- Scope national, and available by state on the record book
The top 25
| # | Holder | reserve championships, no GC | Set |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westside BBQ across 53 contests, still waiting |
7 | 9 Aug 2025 |
| 2 | PROUD SOULS BARBECUE across 77 contests, still waiting |
6 | 21 Apr 2023 |
| 3 | LEGENDS OF SMOKE - TEAM RED ARROW across 102 contests, still waiting |
6 | 23 Aug 2019 |
| 4 | Smokin Suckers across 35 contests, still waiting |
5 | 8 May 2026 |
| 5 | THE CALIFORNIA GRILL BILLIES across 42 contests, still waiting |
5 | 21 Aug 2021 |
| 6 | TRUCKY'S TRUE BLU BBQ'UE across 19 contests, still waiting |
5 | 3 Jun 2016 |
| 7 | My Smokin' Grillfriend across 29 contests, still waiting |
5 | 18 Sep 2015 |
| 8 | BBQ Maestros across 67 contests, still waiting |
4 | 14 Aug 2026 |
| 9 | Porket About It across 38 contests, still waiting |
4 | 16 Aug 2025 |
| 10 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA across 73 contests, still waiting |
4 | 15 May 2026 |
| 11 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW across 106 contests, still waiting |
4 | 16 May 2025 |
| 12 | HABITUAL SMOKERS across 71 contests, still waiting |
4 | 8 Jul 2016 |
| 13 | HAMBONES BY THE FIRE across 70 contests, still waiting |
4 | 12 Jul 2019 |
| 14 | JaBs BBQ across 49 contests, still waiting |
4 | 13 Sep 2024 |
| 15 | Big Daddy's Backyard BBQ across 68 contests, still waiting |
4 | 22 Oct 2022 |
| 16 | HAWG NATION BBQ across 54 contests, still waiting |
4 | 12 Aug 2016 |
| 17 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ across 65 contests, still waiting |
4 | 26 Apr 2019 |
| 18 | SMOKIN' HOOKERS BAR-B-Q LLC across 38 contests, still waiting |
4 | 15 Jul 2016 |
| 19 | SMOKIN FOOLZ across 52 contests, still waiting |
4 | 5 Jul 2019 |
| 20 | BAR-B-Q'S-2GO across 57 contests, still waiting |
4 | 5 Jul 2019 |
| 21 | Kamado BONO across 6 contests, still waiting |
3 | 22 Aug 2026 |
| 22 | PAPA'S PIT CREW across 53 contests, still waiting |
3 | 14 Aug 2026 |
| 23 | RJs Smokehouse across 31 contests, still waiting |
3 | 24 Aug 2024 |
| 24 | SinBin BBQ across 31 contests, still waiting |
3 | 5 Jul 2025 |
| 25 | Skinny Pig BBQ across 40 contests, still waiting |
3 | 31 Jul 2026 |
Rebuilt nightly from every KCBS result we can find. A record here is only as complete as the data behind it — if a contest is missing from the archive, so is anything that happened at it.
🏆 More from championships
Grand Championships, reserve finishes, dynasties and droughts.
- 🏆 Most Grand Championships
- 🥈 Most Reserve Championships
- 🎯 Best championship rate
- 🗓️ Most Grand Championships in one season
- 🔒 Most consecutive Grand Championships
- 🗺️ Champions in the most states
- 🎪 Most different contests won
- 👑 Most wins at one contest
- 🛡️ Most consecutive wins at one contest
- 🗡️ Biggest field ever beaten
- 🏜️ Longest wait for a first title
- ⏳ Longest span between titles
- 🏅 Most state championships