The heartbreaker
1.7028
points from the title
Came within 1.7028 points of the Grand Championship at Shenandoah ShenDig (2023-07-21).
RAILYARD BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1582
peak 1586 · rated over 12 contests ⓘ
Best runs
3
straight top-10s
Contests
15
in the data
First seen
2022-06-03
latest 2026-06-05
Best ToY finish
#284
Master 2023
Grand champs
1
1 reserve
Category wins
3
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
7
of 15 contests
Avg finish
top 37%
overall standings
Best overall
703.9656 / 720
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
683.81 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 683.31 (+0.50)
Walk rate
73%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
3
best run (overall)
Consistency
±11.46
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 174.24 · weakest Brisket (168.87)
Road miles
1,442
mi across 15 mapped stops · furthest 249 mi
Schedule strength
61%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1577)
Purse competed for
$230K
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
GCs in 11 state-championship entries
Master avg
683.31 / 720
13 Master contests · 1 GC
Storylines (13 found in this team's record)
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
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
Against the odds
17-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 83 times in 100
Their Grand Championship at McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual (2022-06-03) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 17-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, SMOKE RINGERS.
Giant slayer
30
teams beaten in one weekend
Took the Grand Championship over a 30-team field at McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual.
- 2022-06-03
They almost always walk
73%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 11 of 15 contests
A top-10 category call in 73% of their 15 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
703.9656
career-best overall
97.8% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 703.9656 at 2nd Annual Alva Police Department Cars, Concerts and BBQ Contest — 97.8% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2023-05-05
State champions
1
state championships won
They've taken 1 state championship from 11 entries at contests carrying the title.
- 11 state-championship entries
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
WOOD HOOK BBQ has finished one call ahead of RAILYARD BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
The weak link
−5.4
points behind their best meat
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.37 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 43% of the time against 57%.
- Brisket avg 168.87
- Chicken avg 174.24
- 6 calls in 14 entries
The drought
14
contests since the last title
Their last Grand Championship came at McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual on 2022-06-03 — 14 contests and 4.2 years ago.
- last GC 2022-06-03
- 4.2 years ago
A strong matchup
6–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of DUSTY ROADS BBQ in 6 of their 6 shared contests.
Announced themselves early
1st
at their very first contest
Finished 1 of 30 at their very first tracked contest, McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual (2022-06-03).
- 2022-06-03
- 30-team field
The metronome
±1.59%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±1.59% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 94.9% of a perfect score
- 15 contests
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.
42 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1255 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 53%
- Peak
- 1603
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before RAILYARD BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#1256 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 44%
- Peak
- 1582
No shared contest yet.
Fewer contests behind them than RAILYARD BBQ has cooked, 9 to 15, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#1257 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1581
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 21 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1249 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 60%
- Peak
- 1582
No shared contest yet.
25 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 60% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#1253 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 36%
- Peak
- 1596
No shared contest yet.
Level with RAILYARD BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#1248 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 42%
- Peak
- 1585
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 26 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WOOD HOOK BBQ | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| Barking Dog BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Bocephus BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| DUSTY ROADS BBQ | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| KC FINE SWINES | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Who's Cookin' | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Scratch that Itch BBQ | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Pine Tar BBQ | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| PIG NEWTON | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Go Pig or Go Home | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| BrewsCue | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 14 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 180.0000 🔥 | 166.3200 | 174.24 | top 28% |
| Pork Ribs | 14 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 175.4056 | 163.4172 | 169.57 | top 51% |
| Pork | 14 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 180.0000 🔥 | 159.3828 | 170.63 | top 45% |
| Brisket | 14 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 177.7028 | 153.6568 | 168.87 | top 45% |
“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 state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS | 9 | 1 | top 42% |
| IA | 2 | 0 | top 29% |
| MO | 1 | 0 | top 23% |
| OK | 1 | 0 | top 40% |
| NE | 1 | 0 | top 21% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 40% |
| Medium (20–39) | 10 | 1 | top 32% |
| Large (40+) | 3 | 0 | top 51% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shenandoah ShenDig | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 29% | 2025-07-18 |
The story so far (20 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
4 yrs
2022-06-03 → 2026-06-05
Busiest season
2023
8 contests
Contests a season
3
across 5 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
KS
10 of 15 contests · 5 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
13
1 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
14 entries · 1 win · 8 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 174.24 · weakest Brisket (168.87)
Walk rate
73%
a top-10 call in 11 of 15 contests
Overall top-10 rate
47%
7 of 15 contests
Wins it all
7%
1 Grand Championship · 1 reserve
First title
2022-06-03
McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual
Best top-10 run
3
straight contests
Master average
683.31
out of 720 · 13 contests · 1 GC
Perfect 180s
2
every judge at the table handing back a nine
Opponents faced
634
576–475 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
1,442
15 mapped stops · furthest 249 mi
Schedule strength
1577
average field rating faced — tougher than 61% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$229,840
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1
from 11 state-championship entries
Power rating
1582
peak 1586 · #1247 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2022
- First tracked contest McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual
- First call McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual
- First category win (Brisket) McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual
- First overall top-10 McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual
- First overall podium McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual
- First Grand Championship McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual
- First state championship McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score687.3940 McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual
- Biggest field won (30 teams) McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual
- 2023
- Career-best overall score703.9656 2nd Annual Alva Police Department Cars, Concerts and BBQ Contest
- First perfect 180 (Pork) McLouth BBQ Blowout 32nd Annual
- First Reserve Championship Shenandoah ShenDig
- 10th tracked contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides
- 2025
- Peak power rating (1586) McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual
- 2026
- Most recent contest McLouth BBQ Blowout 35th Annual
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18.2 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual | 2022-06-03 |
| +15.4 | Shenandoah ShenDig | 2023-07-21 |
| +12.8 | Central Plains Ribfest | 2022-06-17 |
| +12 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 33rd Annual | 2024-05-31 |
| +8.1 | 2nd Annual Alva Police Department Cars, Concerts and BBQ Contest | 2023-05-05 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -3.3 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 35th Annual | 2026-06-05 |
| -0.6 | Shenandoah ShenDig | 2025-07-18 |
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 60% | 93.9% | 93.9% |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 43% | 96.4% | 95.3% |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 31% | 95.6% | 95.2% |
| 2023 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 63% | top 41% | 97.8% | 94.8% |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 100% | top 12% | 95.5% | 95.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-05 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 35th Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS | 18 / 30 (675.8744) | 2 (176.5600) | 22 (166.8228) | 20 (167.3944) | 21 (165.0972) |
| 2025-07-18 | Shenandoah ShenDig 🏅 Shenandoah, IA | 16 / 30 (678.1368) | 14 (171.9656) | 18 (168.5372) | 16 (171.9656) | 19 (165.6684) |
| 2025-06-06 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS | 9 / 28 (693.7256) | 15 (171.4172) | 12 (173.1428) | 7 (173.7028) | 5 (175.4628) |
| 2024-06-14 | 10th Annual K of C BBQ Smoke Off 4-Life 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 17 / 34 (683.3488) | 3 (177.7028) | 19 (166.2744) | 20 (168.5372) | 11 (170.8344) |
| 2024-05-31 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 33rd Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS | 4 / 35 (687.9768) | 2 (179.4400) | 5 (174.2856) | 10 (171.4284) | 24 (162.8228) |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 183 / 487 (679.3372) | 138 (172.5716) | 137 (172.0000) | 239 (168.5256) | 261 (166.2400) |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 194 / 211 (661.5540) | 156 (167.9772) | 155 (167.9656) | 201 (161.0856) | 169 (164.5256) |
| 2023-09-01 | Smoke on the River 🏅 Burlington, KS | 11 / 20 (679.9316) | 10 (173.1200) | 17 (163.4172) | 10 (169.6800) | 3 (173.7144) |
| 2023-07-21 | Shenandoah ShenDig 🏅 Shenandoah, IA | 2 / 37 (701.0856) | 1 (180.0000) | 15 (170.8228) | 5 (177.7028) | 8 (172.5600) |
| 2023-06-09 | Made for KC BBQ Championship (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Kansas City, MO | 10 / 44 (683.3484) | 4 (176.0000) | 31 (167.4056) | 10 (174.2744) | 25 (165.6684) |
| 2023-06-02 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 32nd Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS | 12 / 36 (667.9424) | 15 (166.3200) | 15 (167.9656) | 1 (180.0000) | 29 (153.6568) |
| 2023-05-05 | 2nd Annual Alva Police Department Cars, Concerts and BBQ Contest Alva, OK | 6 / 15 (703.9656) | 4 (178.2972) | 7 (175.4056) | 10 (172.5600) | 6 (177.7028) |
| 2022-06-17 | Central Plains Ribfest 🏅 Holdrege, NE | 6 / 29 (682.7884) | 11 (171.9656) | 20 (165.1428) | 8 (172.5600) | 6 (173.1200) |
| 2022-06-03 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS | 1 / 30 (687.3940) | 2 (176.0228) | 2 (174.8456) | 21 (159.3828) | 1 (177.1428) |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #862 (90 pts) | #585 (255 pts) | #1020 (70 pts) | #920 (80 pts) | #917 (75 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #634 (238 pts) | #749 (213 pts) | #800 (208 pts) | #644 (258 pts) | #619 (263 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #566 (309 pts) | #444 (494 pts) | #685 (274 pts) | #734 (219 pts) | #775 (194 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #284 (775 pts) | #277 (825 pts) | #425 (570 pts) | #266 (825 pts) | #313 (710 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #474 (449 pts) | #565 (379 pts) | #649 (334 pts) | #766 (224 pts) | #499 (449 pts) |