Team of the Year
2,850
Master Series points
CLARK CREW BBQ finished 2017 as KCBS Master Series Team of the Year on 2,850 points.
Every number below is read straight out of the 2017 results: 657 contests, 7,539 teams and 17,614 team entries.
📰 Read it as The Smoke Ring 📊 The season in charts 📋 The boards 🔢 More numbers 🗓 All 2017 contests
Contests
657
517 scored · 140 still out · 51 cancelled
Teams competing
7,539
2,106 new · 5,433 back from before
Team entries
17,614
2.3 contests per team
Different champions
243
468 contests won · 139 won just once
It took this to win
692.65
average winning Master overall · won by 4.66 on average
Perfect 180s
399 🔥
5.7 per 1,000 meat entries
Typical field
37
teams · biggest was 407
Came back
52%
4,031 of 7,747 teams from 2016
State championships
6
contests carrying a state title
Team of the Year
- 👑 Master Series — CLARK CREW BBQ (2850 pts) full board ↗
- 🥇 Brisket (Master) — CLARK CREW BBQ (2748 pts)
- 🥇 Chicken (Master) — OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE (2805 pts)
- 🥇 Pork (Master) — GETTIN' BASTED (2822 pts)
- 🥇 Pork Ribs (Master) — CLARK CREW BBQ (2718 pts)
Storylines (11 found in the 2017 numbers)
Everything here is read out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
The season’s big winner
14×
grand championships in 2017
14 of the 468 contests won this season
CLARK CREW BBQ took 14 grand championships in 2017, more than anyone else — out of 468 won by 243 different teams.
- SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ ×12
- BIG POPPA SMOKERS ×7
- GETTIN' BASTED ×7
The score of the year
713.7144
highest Master overall of 2017
HOT COLE'S BBQ put up 713.7144 at Brew B Q — 21.06 points clear of what a 2017 win averaged.
- Brew B Q
- Nov 10, 2017
A clean sweep
1
four-meat sweep
Winning all four meats at one contest happened 1 time in 2017 — LONGNECK SIPPERS did it at Grillin'@Gator Grounds and took the Grand Championship with it.
- LONGNECK SIPPERS · Grillin'@Gator Grounds
The closest finish
0.0108
points between first and second
SMOKE FREAKS beat One2BBQ by 0.0108 at CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ — the narrowest Master win of 2017, and 2 more finished dead level and went to the KCBS tiebreaker.
- CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ
- Oct 13, 2017
Rookie champion
2×
GC in their first season
BROS HOG cooked their first tracked KCBS contest in 2017 and won 2 grand championships — one of 6 rookies to take a title.
- 11 contests cooked
- class of 2017: 2,106 new teams
The biggest upset
5%
their odds against the top seed
5% — what the rating gave them going in
BILLY RAY BBQ (rated 1515) won RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1) out of a field headed by IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ at 2042.
- 40 teams
- May 26, 2017
The season’s biggest climb
+218.5
power rating gained in 2017
JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 added 218.5 rating points across 32 rated contests in 2017 — they sit at #173 today.
- 32 rated contests
- now #173 at 1768
Perfect boxes
399
perfect 180s in 2017
Judges handed out 399 perfect 180s in 2017 — 5.7 for every 1,000 meat entries. CLARK CREW BBQ collected 13 of them.
- CLARK CREW BBQ ×13
- SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ ×13
- HOT COLE'S BBQ ×8
Most miles cooked
47
contests entered in 2017
CLARK CREW BBQ entered 47 contests in 2017, winning 14 of them.
- 14 GCs
- 41 top-ten overalls
- 16 states/provinces
The biggest room
407
teams at one contest
The 2017 average field was 37 teams
38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) drew 407 teams, against a 2017 average of 37 — PORKY BUTTS BBQ won it.
- Sep 1, 2017
- KS
The season in charts
When they cooked (contests per month)
Where they cooked (busiest states and provinces)
How the season scored (every Master overall, in 10-point bins)
How big the fields were (contests by number of teams)
How the meats scored (average of every entry, /180)
2017 in the run of seasons (2017 picked out in both)
Contests held, season by season
What it took to win (average winning Master overall, /720)
The boards
Master Series Team of the Year (top 10)
| # | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CLARK CREW BBQ | 2850 |
| 2 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 2849 |
| 3 | GETTIN' BASTED | 2762 |
| 4 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 2743 |
| 5 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 2705 |
| 6 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | 2702 |
| 7 | Smoke Me Silly | 2687 |
| 8 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 2684 |
| 9 | Fergolicious BBQ | 2681 |
| 10 | SLAPS BBQ | 2670 |
Most Grand Championships
| # | Team | GCs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CLARK CREW BBQ | 14 |
| 2 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 12 |
| 3 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 7 |
| 4 | GETTIN' BASTED | 7 |
| 5 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 7 |
| 6 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | 7 |
| 7 | Fergolicious BBQ | 6 |
| 8 | Organizer Portal | 6 |
| 9 | SLAPS BBQ | 6 |
| 10 | VICTORY LANE BBQ | 6 |
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOT COLE'S BBQ Brew B Q · Nov 10, 2017 |
713.7144 |
| 2 | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In (Day 2) · Jul 9, 2017 |
713.7028 |
| 3 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ Freedom Fest BBQ Cook-Off · Jun 23, 2017 |
710.2972 |
| 4 | HOT COLE'S BBQ Tony Stone-Cookeville Cook-off · Sep 8, 2017 |
710.2628 |
| 5 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) · Sep 22, 2017 |
709.7260 |
| 6 | BUTCHER BBQ Smokin-in-Sapulpa 4th Annual BBQ · Sep 29, 2017 |
709.6916 |
| 7 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) · Sep 1, 2017 |
709.6800 |
| 8 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ Firelake BBQ Cook Off (Day 2) · Mar 25, 2017 |
709.1660 |
| 9 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS Nile Beer-B-Q · Oct 14, 2017 |
709.1200 |
| 10 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN High on the Hog Festival · Apr 21, 2017 |
709.1200 |
Best cook of the season, meat by meat (/180)
| Meat | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | SHIG NINJA BBQ Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge |
180 🔥 |
| Pork Ribs | Organizer Portal Bodagetta BBQ |
180 🔥 |
| Pork | SHIG NINJA BBQ Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge |
180 🔥 |
| Brisket | ZZYZX BAR.B.Q Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge |
180 🔥 |
How hard each meat was (2017 only)
| Meat | Entries | Avg | Avg win | 180s per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 17,640 | 164.76 | 177.42 | 7.6 |
| Pork Ribs | 17,706 | 162.92 | 176.34 | 2.9 |
| Pork | 17,593 | 163.81 | 177.10 | 6.3 |
| Brisket | 17,525 | 161.64 | 177.01 | 5.8 |
Busiest teams (contests entered)
| Team | Contests | GCs | Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLARK CREW BBQ 16 states | 47 | 14 | 41 |
| GETTIN' BASTED 16 states | 43 | 7 | 31 |
| SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ 16 states | 42 | 12 | 35 |
| DIRT ROAD BBQ 10 states | 41 | 5 | 33 |
| HIGH ON THE HAWG 9 states | 38 | 2 | 22 |
| Organizer Portal 11 states | 37 | 6 | 25 |
| SAUCED! BBQ TEAM 10 states | 37 | 5 | 20 |
| OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE 14 states | 37 | 4 | 28 |
| CONTAGIOUS Q 11 states | 37 | 2 | 27 |
| THE SMOKING HILLS 12 states | 37 | 2 | 27 |
Biggest climbers (power rating gained in 2017)
| Team | Gained | Contests |
|---|---|---|
| JOUSTING PIGS BBQ 2.0 #173 today | +218.5 | 32 |
| FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX #55 today | +170.1 | 19 |
| 3N1 Q #66 today | +163.6 | 28 |
| BOOMERANG BBQ #10 today | +163.3 | 19 |
| B-S BBQ OUTLAWS #73 today | +159.5 | 34 |
| DIVINE SWINE #664 today | +143.9 | 20 |
| SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS #127 today | +135.1 | 25 |
| KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ #646 today | +133.8 | 13 |
| OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE #48 today | +133.1 | 21 |
| SMOKE FREAKS #107 today | +131.9 | 25 |
Biggest contests
| Contest | Teams | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 407 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ |
| Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS | 184 | 913 BBQ |
| Humble Rodeo & BBQ ( WFC Qualifier) Humble, TX | 136 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
| 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) Kansas City, KS | 129 | CLARK CREW BBQ |
| Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque Shawnee, KS | 112 | 913 BBQ |
| Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer) Osage City, KS | 100 | CLARK CREW BBQ |
| Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 95 | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE |
| World Barbecue Championship Orange Beach, AL | 93 | GETTIN' BASTED |
| SC Festival of Discovery (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) Greenwood, SC | 89 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ |
| Firelake BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) Shawnee, OK | 87 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX |
Closest finishes (Master, first over second)
| Margin | Contest |
|---|---|
| 0.0108 | CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ SMOKE FREAKS over One2BBQ |
| 0.0112 | Smokin on the White 501 BBQ over Survivor-Que |
| 0.0116 | Derby BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) BARREL BOYS BBQ over Pork Pullers |
| 0.0116 | National Pro BBQ Tour Championship QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N over ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE |
| 0.0116 | Smokin on the Prairie BBQ Cook-off BBQR'S DELIGHT over 501 BBQ |
| 0.0116 | Rockin BBQ THUNDER HOG BBQ over iBQ'n |
| 0.0116 | Wolf Creek Wildblue BBQ HIGH i QUE over 913 BBQ |
| 0.0228 | KTD Smokin ' Gobbler Cook-Off LUCKY'S Q over YOU QUE'D ME ALL NIGHT LONG |
| 0.0228 | Porktober Que THE PIT CREW GA over SWEET SMOKE Q FLORIDA |
| 0.0340 | Que & Cruz SMOKETASTIC BBQ over HOOS SMOKIN |
2 more finished dead level and were settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Widest winning margins (Master)
| Margin | Contest |
|---|---|
| 29.2340 | 8th Annual Poor Que TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI over TOO POOR TO SCORE |
| 25.6116 | Grillin'@Gator Grounds LONGNECK SIPPERS over Pork N P's |
| 21.2348 | Smoking Hot BBQ Nassau Da Snapper Crew over Holi Smoke |
| 20.6056 | Mocklahoma Ribs & Roll BBQ Championship-Day 1 THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ over OLD 99 MEAT CO. |
| 20.5948 | Q Fest BUNCH OF SWINES over ALL SMOKE NO KNICKERS |
Biggest upsets (winner's odds against the top-rated team)
Read off the nightly power-rating replay. Invitationals and non-points contests are not rated, so they never appear here.
Clean sweeps (all four meats at one contest)
| Team | Contest |
|---|---|
| LONGNECK SIPPERS 🏆 | Grillin'@Gator Grounds Sep 15, 2017 |
Most perfect 180s (in 2017)
| Team | 180s | Contests |
|---|---|---|
| CLARK CREW BBQ | 13 | 12 |
| SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 13 | 12 |
| HOT COLE'S BBQ | 8 | 7 |
| BOOMERANG BBQ | 6 | 6 |
| FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | 6 | 5 |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 6 | 6 |
| VICTORY LANE BBQ | 6 | 5 |
| DIRT ROAD BBQ | 5 | 4 |
| Fergolicious BBQ | 5 | 5 |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 5 | 5 |
Class of 2017 (2,106 teams debuted · how the class did →)
| Team | Contests | GCs |
|---|---|---|
| BROS HOG | 11 | 2 |
| FYC BARBEQUE | 13 | 1 |
| UNCLE TONY'S COCKNEY Q | 12 | 1 |
| Cynical BBQ | 7 | 1 |
| THE GRILL DOCTORS | 6 | 1 |
| BALLS OUT BBQ | 5 | 1 |
| Cool Grog N Smokin Hogs | 2 | 1 |
| GRILLDROIDS | 2 | 1 |
| KGB - KATKA GERGO BARBECUE | 1 | 1 |
| Outdoor Chef | 1 | 1 |
| Thunder Pig BBQ | 1 | 1 |
| CHOCOLATE CITY BBQ | 13 | 0 |
State by state
| State/Prov. | Contests | Scored | Avg field |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS 2 titles | 44 | 33 | 61 |
| MO | 44 | 38 | 38 |
| CA | 38 | 26 | 39 |
| GA 1 title | 34 | 22 | 41 |
| TN | 29 | 28 | 35 |
| AL | 27 | 23 | 36 |
| IL | 26 | 20 | 33 |
| OK | 26 | 19 | 38 |
| WI | 23 | 23 | 37 |
| NC | 20 | 17 | 43 |
| VA 1 title | 18 | 15 | 35 |
| IN | 17 | 12 | 29 |
| IA | 15 | 13 | 29 |
| MS | 14 | 12 | 32 |
| TX | 14 | 9 | 51 |
| CO | 13 | 12 | 35 |
| NY | 13 | 10 | 37 |
| AR | 12 | 11 | 32 |
| MN | 12 | 10 | 41 |
| PA | 12 | 11 | 43 |
| FL | 10 | 6 | 33 |
| MI | 10 | 8 | 29 |
| NE | 10 | 8 | 37 |
| OH 1 title | 10 | 6 | 32 |
| KY | 9 | 9 | 31 |
| SC | 9 | 7 | 37 |
| MD | 8 | 7 | 42 |
| NV | 7 | 6 | 30 |
| MT | 6 | 5 | 25 |
| ON | 6 | 4 | 26 |
| AZ | 5 | 5 | 35 |
| CT | 5 | 5 | 39 |
| LA | 5 | 3 | 30 |
| NM | 5 | 3 | 39 |
| SD | 5 | 5 | 31 |
| UT | 5 | 3 | 17 |
| NJ | 4 | 4 | 46 |
| WY 1 title | 4 | 2 | 23 |
| AB | 3 | 1 | 34 |
| DE | 2 | 2 | 58 |
| MA | 2 | 2 | 28 |
| ME | 2 | 2 | 29 |
| OR | 2 | 1 | 37 |
| VT | 2 | 2 | 31 |
| WA | 2 | 2 | 24 |
| BC | 1 | 1 | 19 |
| BZ | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| DC | 1 | 1 | 33 |
| ID | 1 | 1 | 28 |
| ND | 1 | 0 | — |
| NH | 1 | 1 | 35 |
| QC | 1 | 1 | 17 |
| RI | 1 | 1 | 24 |
| SK | 1 | 1 | 18 |
| WV | 1 | 1 | 57 |
State championships (6 in 2017)
| Contest | Grand Champion |
|---|---|
| Boss Hog State Championship Cook-OFF (GBC Qualifier) GA · May 12, 2017 | BOOG-A-LOU SMOKE CREW |
| Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship KS · Jun 23, 2017 | 913 BBQ |
| Pepsi WY State Championship BBQ & Bluegrass Festival WY · Aug 18, 2017 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS |
| PigMania Lebanon State Championship BBQ & Music Festival ( TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) OH · Sep 1, 2017 | WEQ4U |
| 13th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship VA · Sep 8, 2017 | SAUCE THIS BBQ |
| Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque KS · Sep 22, 2017 | 913 BBQ |
More from 2017
Season ran
Jan 6 → Dec 15
first and last contest on the 2017 calendar
Average winning margin
4.66
across 468 Master contests · 2 settled by tiebreaker
Walks to the stage
18,831
top-ten calls handed out in the four meats
New teams
2,106
first tracked contest anywhere was in 2017
Contest series
629
distinct recurring contests on the calendar
Busiest weekend
21 contests
all on Sep 22, 2017
Toughest table
Brisket
lowest average of the four meats at 161.64
Outside the rating
5
invitationals and non-points contests that do not move a power rating
Cancelled
51
contests that came off the calendar
Results still out
140
of 657 contests on the 2017 calendar
Contest counts exclude cancelled events. Overall scores are split by series because they are on different scales — Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360 — and only the four judged meats count toward perfect 180s. Browse every 2017 contest →