Perfect scores on the board
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.
- Chicken ×1
- Pork ×1
Rack Shack bbq
Rack Shack bbq is a competition barbecue team with 29 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. They have won 2 Grand Championships, most recently at the Iowa State BBQ Championship (2025), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1588 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1559
peak 1576 · rated over 17 contests4 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
29
in the data
First seen
May 12, 2023
latest Sep 30, 2026 · 3.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
2
1 reserve · wins it all 7% of the time
Category wins
2
5 podiums
Overall top-10s
8
28% of 29 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 45%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
679.56 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 676.93 (+2.63)
Walk rate
59%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±12.69
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 170.65 · weakest Brisket (165.96)
Road miles
3,862
across 29 mapped stops · furthest 695 mi
Schedule strength
70%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1588)
Purse competed for
$288K
listed at 25 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
2 🏅
won from 15 state-championship entries
Master avg
676.93 / 720
12 Master contests · 1 GC
Backyard avg
321.42 / 360
9 Backyard contests · 1 GC
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #814 (120 pts) | #699 (210 pts) | #488 (425 pts) | #837 (120 pts) | #838 (120 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #403 (520 pts) | #651 (275 pts) | #641 (295 pts) | #475 (425 pts) | #648 (245 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #103 (593 pts) | #100 (623 pts) | #116 (523 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #467 (411 pts) | #426 (516 pts) | #413 (587 pts) | #574 (331 pts) | #460 (476 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #87 (705 pts) | #57 (951 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | — | — | #555 (398 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Rack Shack bbq, each with one reason worth a look.
42 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,581 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1559
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,586 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 36%
- Peak
- 1559
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Rack Shack bbq's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,589 of the rated field
- Contests
- 27
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1577
Careers of much the same size, 27 contests to 29, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,584 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 60%
- Peak
- 1559
They were already cooking in 2018, 5 years before Rack Shack bbq's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#1,583 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 44%
- Peak
- 1559
Level with Rack Shack bbq on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#1,594 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1559
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Racks BBQ | 16 | 8 | 8 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Sugar Shack | 15 | 9 | 6 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT DADDY'S BBQ | 15 | 2 | 12 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | 14 | 3 | 11 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| Sensuous BBQ | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| NECTAR OF THE HOGS | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| T-Rex BBQ | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| UGLY BABY BBQ | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| DAWGS BBQ | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM CRAWFORD | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| MACHETE BOYS BBQ | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| Son of a Boar BBQ | 11 | 3 | 7 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| Steel Smoke BBQ | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70% | ⚔ compare |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 180 🔥 | 153.6456 | 170.50 | top 41% |
| Pork Ribs | 26 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 177.7144 | 159.9428 | 170.65 | top 34% |
| Pork | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 180 🔥 | 161.6572 | 168.10 | top 57% |
| Brisket | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 177.7144 | 154.7656 | 165.96 | top 60% |
“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.
By field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 33% |
| Medium (20–39) | 8 | 0 | top 46% |
| Large (40+) | 12 | 2 | top 45% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota in May | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 56% | May 8, 2026 |
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 28% | Apr 3, 2026 |
| Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 33% | Sep 7, 2024 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon II (BACKYARD) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 28% | Oct 15, 2023 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
12 contests
Contests a season
7.3
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
MN
12 of 29 contests · 5 states in all
Contests visited
15
4 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
26 entries · 1 win · 13 calls
First title
May 12, 2023
Minnesota in May
Opponents faced
797
finished ahead 1,041 times, behind 776
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest
20253 milestones
- 25th tracked contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides
- Career-best overall score705.0972 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
- Peak power rating (1576) American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
20242 milestones
- 10th tracked contest Iowa State BBQ Championship
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL
202310 milestones
- First tracked contest Minnesota in May (One Meat Ribs)
- First call Minnesota in May (One Meat Ribs)
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Minnesota in May
- First overall top-10 Minnesota in May
- First overall podium Minnesota in May
- First Grand Championship Minnesota in May
- First state championship Minnesota in May
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score346.8228 Minnesota in May
- Biggest field won (59 teams) Minnesota in May
- First Reserve Championship Bring'n Home the Bacon II (MASTER & BACKYARD)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18.3 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Apr 4, 2025 |
| +18.2 | Minnesota in May | May 12, 2023 |
| +16.5 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Nov 5, 2025 |
| +16 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Oct 13, 2023 |
| +12.2 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Mar 29, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.6 | Minnesota in May | May 8, 2026 |
| -10.7 | Minnesota in May | May 10, 2024 |
| -9.3 | 8th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest | Jul 26, 2024 |
| -6.1 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 7, 2024 |
| -4.8 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 8, 2024 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 81% | 93.7% | 92.9% |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 50% | top 17% | 97.9% | 96.6% |
| 2024 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 58% | top 52% | 97.9% | 89.3% |
| 2023 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 67% | top 26% | 96.5% | 94% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2026 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 141 / 158 (666.7316) | 155 (153.6456) | 23 (176.5716) | 18 (176.5600) | 147 (159.9544) |
| May 8, 2026 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 70 / 77 (664.4572) | 12 (176.0116) | 61 (165.6800) | 54 (168) | 75 (154.7656) |
| May 8, 2026 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 8 (171.9772) | — | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 27 / 42 (674.7316) | 20 (171.9772) | 4 (176.5600) | 39 (162.2400) | 31 (163.9544) |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 6 / 401 (705.0972) | 165 (171.9656) | 56 (175.4172) | 3 (180) | 21 (177.7144) |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 77 / 158 (686.7888) | 34 (176.5600) | 26 (176.0116) | 88 (170.8228) | 137 (163.3944) |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 1 / 49 (693.6460) | 8 (175.4172) | 6 (174.2744) | 11 (173.1200) | 16 (170.8344) |
| Sep 7, 2024 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 6 / 18 (334.2400) | 11 (166.2400) | 3 (168) | — | — |
| Jul 26, 2024 | 8th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest 🏅 Emmetsburg, IA | 26 / 28 (659.8172) | 19 (168.5256) | 6 (174.2744) | 27 (161.6572) | 27 (155.3600) |
| Jul 12, 2024 | KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off 🏅 Worthington, MN | 17 / 34 (674.7656) | 9 (174.8572) | 15 (170.2628) | 22 (166.2400) | 24 (163.4056) |
| Jun 8, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 23 / 37 (679.8628) | 22 (170.8344) | 15 (173.1200) | 32 (163.9428) | 11 (171.9656) |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 27 / 41 (664.9828) | 11 (174.2628) | 32 (161.6916) | 27 (163.9428) | 28 (165.0856) |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 24 (160.5832) | — | — |
| May 31, 2024 | Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 12 / 32 (681.0512) | 15 (170.8228) | 10 (168.5600) | 21 (167.3828) | 7 (174.2856) |
| May 25, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Lebanon, TN | 4 / 47 (352.5716) | 1 (180) | 15 (172.5716) | — | — |
| May 24, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Lebanon, TN | 96 / 118 (671.2568) | 113 (163.9428) | 41 (172.5600) | 107 (163.9428) | 55 (170.8112) |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 43 / 58 (169.6684) | 21 (169.6684) | — | 9 (167.4056) | — |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 29 (165.7144) | — | — |
| Mar 29, 2024 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 7 / 42 (343.4172) | 9 (172.5716) | 10 (170.8456) | — | — |
| Oct 15, 2023 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (BACKYARD) West Salem, WI | 11 / 24 (337.0856) | 18 (166.2284) | 7 (170.8572) | — | — |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 2 / 21 (347.3944) | 2 (175.4172) | 5 (171.9772) | — | — |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 22 (165.1088) | — | — |
| Sep 9, 2023 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 10 / 30 (339.3828) | 11 (170.2628) | 11 (169.1200) | — | — |
| Jul 14, 2023 | KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-of (ONE MEAT RIBS) Worthington, MN | — | — | 5 (173.7028) | — | — |
| Jul 14, 2023 | KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off 🏅 Worthington, MN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 7, 2023 | Art of the Que 🏅 Spencer, IA | 11 / 28 (322.1944) | 10 (162.2516) | 10 (159.9428) | — | — |
| May 12, 2023 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 1 / 59 (346.8228) | 12 (169.1084) | 1 (177.7144) | — | — |
| May 12, 2023 | Minnesota in May (One Meat Ribs) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 7 (173.7144) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.