CIRCLE W BARBECUE

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#3278

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1498

peak 1498 · rated over 10 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-04-26

latest 2015-07-17

Best ToY finish

#779

Master 2014

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 10 contests

Avg finish

top 57%

overall standings

Best overall

662.2284 / 720

Master · 3rd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition

Perfect 180s

Current form

646.31 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 639.59 (+6.72)

Walk rate

20%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

175.4172

Brisket · 3rd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition

Consistency

±9.73

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 162.61 · weakest Chicken (156.89)

Road miles

1,332

mi across 10 mapped stops · furthest 299 mi

Schedule strength

19%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1527)

Master avg

639.59 / 720

10 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (6 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.

A tough matchup

6–0 behind in the head-to-head

PARROTHEAD SMOKERS ahead in 100% of their meetings

PARROTHEAD SMOKERS has come out ahead in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.7 points behind their best meat

Chicken is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.72 points below their brisket, and turns into a call 10% of the time against 10%.

Chicken avg 156.89
Brisket avg 162.61
1 calls in 10 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of WELL SAUCED BBQ in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

Brisket nemesis

5 of 6 shared brisket entries lost

PARROTHEAD SMOKERS ahead 83% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, PARROTHEAD SMOKERS has out-cooked them in 5 of 6 shared brisket entries.

A May team

Top 47% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 47% across 3 contests, versus top 57% the rest of the year.

3 May contests
top 57% the rest of the year

The metronome

±1.35% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.35% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 88.8% of a perfect score
10 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.

120 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

WILD HOGS BBQ

#3257 of the rated field

1499 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 110
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1618

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to CIRCLE W BARBECUE)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team CIRCLE W BARBECUE has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 109 contests
last seen 2022-09-29

⚔ Head-to-head

Southern Tailgates

#3291 of the rated field

1498 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1504

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 10, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2024-08-16

⚔ Head-to-head

Struttin Smokers

#3262 of the rated field

1499 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1500

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2023-12-01

⚔ Head-to-head

1881 SMOKIN' IRON BBQ

#3267 of the rated field

1498 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1498

No shared contest yet.

Level with CIRCLE W BARBECUE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2022-06-03

⚔ Head-to-head

Cosmic Q

#3270 of the rated field

1498 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1511

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 6 years after CIRCLE W BARBECUE did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2026-07-11

⚔ Head-to-head

CODE 7 SMOKEHOUSE

#3269 of the rated field

1498 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1498

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2020-01-24

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
WHEN PIGS DIE	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
LEEPS BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
PORK PATROL BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
PARROTHEAD SMOKERS	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
HELPING U BBQ	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
PORKY BUTTS BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	10	1	0	0	166.8572	150.8000	156.89	top 71%
Pork Ribs	10	1	0	0	168.0116	156.5488	160.11	top 58%
Pork	10	1	0	0	169.1200	152.5372	159.97	top 59%
Brisket	10	1	1	1	175.4172	156.5714	162.61	top 47%

“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	Avg finish
NE	8	top 52%
SD	1	top 67%
IA	1	top 85%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 54%
Large (40+)	4	0	top 61%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Cass County	2	16	0	top 51%	2014-08-08
Pony Express BBQ Challenge	2	20	0	top 62%	2014-04-25

The story so far (14 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 2.2 yrs 2013-04-26 → 2015-07-17

Busiest season 2013 5 contests

Contests a season 3.3 across 3 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NE 8 of 10 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 8 2 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 10 entries · 0 wins · 1 calls

Strongest meat Brisket averages 162.61 · weakest Chicken (156.89)

Walk rate 20% a top-10 call in 2 of 10 contests

Overall top-10 rate 10% 1 of 10 contests

Master average 639.59 out of 720 · 10 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 261 160–215 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,332 10 mapped stops · furthest 299 mi

Schedule strength 1527 average field rating faced — tougher than 19% of rated contests

Power rating 1498 peak 1498 · #3278 of 6,413 rated

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

2013
Apr 26 First tracked contest Pony Express BBQ Challenge
Apr 26 Peak power rating (1500) Pony Express BBQ Challenge
2014
May 2 First call North Platte Honky Tonk BBQ Festival
May 30 First category win (Brisket) 3rd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
May 30 First overall top-10 3rd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
May 30 First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.2284 3rd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
May 30 Career-best overall score662.2284 3rd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
May 30 Career-best single call (Brisket)175.4172 3rd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
2015
Jul 17 10th tracked contest RiverFest Red White and Que
Jul 17 Most recent contest RiverFest Red White and Que

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+11.4	3rd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition	2014-05-30
+4.3	Cass County	2014-08-08
+2.7	RiverFest Red White and Que	2015-07-17

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.2	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash	2013-07-26
-4.9	Pony Express BBQ Challenge	2014-04-25
-2.7	Ribs, Rods & Rock 'n Roll	2013-09-06
-1.5	North Platte Honky Tonk BBQ Festival	2014-05-02
-0.5	Pony Express BBQ Challenge	2013-04-26

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2015	1	0	0	0%	top 49%	89.5%	89.5%
2014	4	1	1	50%	top 51%	92%	89.8%
2013	5	0	0	0%	top 63%	88.5%	87.9%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2015-07-17	RiverFest Red White and Que Bellevue, NE	22 / 45 (644.4340)	33 (157.6568)	37 (156.5488)	14 (167.9656)	22 (162.2628)
2014-08-08	Cass County Weeping Water, NE	16 / 35 (644.4456)	11 (166.8572)	19 (157.7144)	26 (155.9428)	14 (163.9312)
2014-05-30	3rd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition Valley, NE	7 / 30 (662.2284)	24 (154.2512)	12 (163.4400)	4 (169.1200)	1 (175.4172)
2014-05-02	North Platte Honky Tonk BBQ Festival North Platte, NE	16 / 25 (643.9772)	10 (163.4400)	7 (168.0116)	22 (152.5372)	17 (159.9884)
2014-04-25	Pony Express BBQ Challenge Gothenburg, NE	20 / 28 (636.4456)	23 (156.5372)	16 (162.2744)	16 (160.5140)	19 (157.1200)
2013-09-06	Ribs, Rods & Rock 'n Roll Vermillion, SD	18 / 27 (636.5488)	24 (151.4172)	21 (158.2744)	20 (161.1544)	12 (165.7028)
2013-08-09	Cass County Weeping Water, NE	25 / 44 (637.0172)	32 (158.7884)	25 (159.9888)	27 (156.5256)	24 (161.7144)
2013-07-26	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	56 / 66 (623.8968)	63 (150.8000)	49 (158.2972)	57 (155.9540)	41 (158.8456)
2013-05-03	North Platte Honky Tonk Barbecue Festival North Platte, NE	20 / 38 (636.5716)	33 (153.1430)	20 (158.8572)	22 (159.9998)	11 (164.5716)
2013-04-26	Pony Express BBQ Challenge Gothenburg, NE	25 / 47 (630.2852)	27 (155.9996)	26 (157.7142)	22 (160.0000)	25 (156.5714)

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
2015 ↗	Master	#2055 (75 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#1923 (115 pts)	#2111 (75 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#779 (438 pts)	#939 (378 pts)	#789 (463 pts)	#857 (428 pts)	#652 (568 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#788 (391 pts)	#949 (336 pts)	#852 (376 pts)	#852 (386 pts)	#691 (471 pts)