SMOKY LINCS

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

Power ranking

#4584

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1471

peak 1471 · rated over 34 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-24

latest 2019-05-31

Best ToY finish

#715

Master 2014

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

6 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 34 contests

Avg finish

top 62%

overall standings

Best overall

667.9196 / 720

Master · Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown)

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

638.75 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 640.77 (-2.02)

Walk rate

50%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork · Red, White & BBQ (Day 2)

Consistency

±16.44

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 164.13 · weakest Brisket (155.53)

Road miles

2,838

mi across 34 mapped stops · furthest 129 mi

Schedule strength

41%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1554)

Purse competed for

$10K

listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

640.77 / 720

34 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (12 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

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.

Pork ×1

High-water mark

667.9196 career-best overall

92.8% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 667.9196 at Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown) — 92.8% of a perfect 720.

Master
2016-07-22

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Kalamazoo Pit Posse has finished one call ahead of SMOKY LINCS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2016 their best year

2016 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 47%.

5 contests
1 overall top-10s
1 category wins
average top 47%

A tough matchup

24–3 behind in the head-to-head

QUAU ahead in 89% of their meetings

QUAU has come out ahead in 24 of their 27 shared contests.

The weak link

−8.6 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 8.60 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 18% of the time against 24%.

Brisket avg 155.53
Chicken avg 164.13
6 calls in 34 entries

A strong matchup

8–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 73% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SAUCED N SMOKED in 8 of their 11 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

17 of 27 shared chicken entries lost

QUAU ahead 63% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, QUAU has out-cooked them in 17 of 27 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

NUTHATCH HILL BBQ CO. has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A July team

Top 43% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 43% across 8 contests, versus top 62% the rest of the year.

8 July contests
top 62% the rest of the year

The metronome

±2.28% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.28% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.0% of a perfect score
34 contests

A standing appointment

7 years running at one contest

They've cooked Up In Smoke on the Square every year from 2013 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

7 visits in all
best finish 16th

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.

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

CARNIVORE'S PARADISE

#4574 of the rated field

1471 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 46
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1524

3–7 in 10 shared contests (30% to SMOKY LINCS)

These two have cooked 10 of the same contests — CARNIVORE'S PARADISE ahead 7–3 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 45 contests
last seen 2021-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

BAR BQ POSSE

#4601 of the rated field

1470 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1470

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SMOKY LINCS)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2019-06-21

⚔ Head-to-head

ELWOOD BBQ

#4603 of the rated field

1470 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1531

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 29 contests to 34, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 29 contests
last seen 2023-09-02

⚔ Head-to-head

SHO DAWG BBQ

#4575 of the rated field

1471 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1471

No shared contest yet.

28 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 4% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 28 contests
last seen 2022-08-05

⚔ Head-to-head

TOPPGATOR BBQ

#4572 of the rated field

1471 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 60
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1536

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 59 contests
last seen 2021-10-22

⚔ Head-to-head

Pig in a Poke

#4589 of the rated field

1471 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1523

No shared contest yet.

Level with SMOKY LINCS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 19 contests
last seen 2021-03-19

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
QUAU	27	3	24	11%	⚔ compare
Its 5 Oclock Somewhere	23	3	20	13%	⚔ compare
CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE	21	5	16	24%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	21	0	21	0%	⚔ compare
FIDDLIN' FATBACK	18	8	10	44%	⚔ compare
ALL IN QUE	18	3	15	17%	⚔ compare
RACK MASTERS BBQ	17	5	12	29%	⚔ compare
CHANNABILLY BBQ	17	3	14	18%	⚔ compare
CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE	15	5	10	33%	⚔ compare
BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO.	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
BONEHEAD BBQ	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
MEATSMACK	14	9	5	64%	⚔ compare
DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
NUTTHIN BUT PORK	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS	14	2	12	14%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	34	8	1	3	178.3200	153.0856	164.13	top 53%
Pork Ribs	34	7	0	0	171.9772	143.3716	158.88	top 59%
Pork	34	6	1	2	180.0000 🔥	145.7142	162.23	top 55%
Brisket	34	6	1	1	174.3200	134.2628	155.53	top 66%

“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 contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	13	0	top 61%
Large (40+)	21	0	top 63%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Up In Smoke on the Square	7	16	top 67%	2019-05-31
Route 66 Smoke Out	5	15	top 66%	2019-05-03
Red, White and BBQ (Day 2)	3	31	top 79%	2015-05-23
*Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown(JUDGES FULL)	2	12	top 51%	2018-07-20
*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2)	2	36	top 65%	2018-05-26
*Heritage Days BBQ Showdown	2	15	top 61%	2017-06-23
Morton BBQ Throwdown	2	17	top 43%	2014-07-25
Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest	2	6	top 28%	2014-07-11

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 6 yrs 2013-05-24 → 2019-05-31

Busiest season 2018 6 contests

Contests a season 4.9 across 7 seasons in the data

Cooks most in IL 34 of 34 contests

Contests visited 17 8 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 34 entries · 1 win · 8 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 164.13 · weakest Brisket (155.53)

Walk rate 50% a top-10 call in 17 of 34 contests

Overall top-10 rate 6% 2 of 34 contests

Master average 640.77 out of 720 · 34 contests · 0 GCs

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 503 540–899 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2,838 34 mapped stops · furthest 129 mi

Schedule strength 1554 average field rating faced — tougher than 41% of rated contests

Purse competed for $9,525 listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 2 state-championship entries

Power rating 1471 peak 1471 · #4584 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
May 24 First tracked contest Westmont Red, White & BBQ
Jul 5 First call Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest
Aug 23 First overall past 90% of a perfect score656.5028 Up In Smoke on the Square
2014
Jul 11 First category win (Chicken) Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest
Jul 11 First overall top-10 Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest
Aug 22 10th tracked contest Up In Smoke On The Square
Aug 22 Peak power rating (1499) Up In Smoke On The Square
2016
May 28 First perfect 180 (Pork) Red, White & BBQ (Day 2)
Jul 22 Career-best overall score667.9196 Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown)
2017
Jul 21 25th tracked contest *Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL)
2019
May 31 Most recent contest Up In Smoke on the Square

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12.8	Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest	2014-07-11
+11.4	*Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL)	2017-07-21
+10.1	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown)	2016-07-22
+7.9	*Up In smoke on the Square( WAIT LIST ONLY FOR JUDGES)	2018-06-01
+7.6	Route 66 Smoke Out	2016-05-06

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14.7	Westmont Red, White & BBQ	2013-05-24
-11.4	Up In smoke on the Square	2017-06-02
-9.5	Route 66 Smoke Out (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL)	2015-05-01
-8.4	Up In Smoke on the Square	2019-05-31
-8	Smoke on the Prairie	2014-06-13

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)
2019	2	0	0	0%	top 81%	88.6%	88.5%
2018	6	0	1	50%	top 64%	90.7%	89.6%
2017	6	0	0	50%	top 65%	91.8%	89.4%
2016	5	1	1	80%	top 47%	92.8%	90.9%
2015	5	0	0	40%	top 75%	89%	87.6%
2014	5	1	1	60%	top 54%	92.1%	88.7%
2013	5	0	0	40%	top 59%	91.2%	87.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019-05-31	Up In Smoke on the Square 🏅 Lincoln, IL	30 / 36 (636.4684)	33 (157.0856)	36 (148.5028)	16 (166.8572)	20 (164.0228)
2019-05-03	Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL	26 / 33 (638.1256)	31 (155.3484)	20 (161.7260)	23 (163.3712)	24 (157.6800)
2018-10-12	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Arthur, IL	30 / 45 (641.0400)	25 (164.5828)	22 (160.5600)	24 (162.8000)	43 (153.0972)
2018-07-20	*Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown(JUDGES FULL) Peoria, IL	33 / 43 (649.5772)	21 (168.5372)	14 (167.4172)	30 (160.5372)	40 (153.0856)
2018-06-30	*I-39 Smokin Car Show Minonk, IL	20 / 29 (628.5256)	2 (174.3200)	25 (149.7144)	12 (159.4056)	26 (145.0856)
2018-06-01	*Up In smoke on the Square( WAIT LIST ONLY FOR JUDGES) Lincoln, IL	16 / 40 (646.1600)	4 (172.0000)	37 (145.0972)	10 (163.3828)	10 (165.6800)
2018-05-26	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2) Westmont, IL	41 / 60 (650.2516)	48 (163.4172)	29 (164.0000)	17 (170.8228)	48 (152.0116)
2018-05-04	*Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	24 / 38 (653.1196)	32 (158.8456)	28 (160.5828)	29 (159.3712)	1 (174.3200)
2017-10-06	*Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival(JUDGES FULL) Decatur, IL	18 / 30 (661.0284)	13 (168.5256)	15 (163.4284)	22 (163.9544)	18 (165.1200)
2017-07-21	*Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) Peoria, IL	12 / 48 (651.8740)	18 (164.5256)	22 (159.4172)	24 (160.5484)	9 (167.3828)
2017-06-23	*Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL	32 / 42 (631.8972)	26 (161.1200)	33 (158.8688)	34 (155.9656)	33 (155.9428)
2017-06-02	Up In smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	31 / 32 (618.6052)	25 (161.6340)	29 (147.9316)	26 (161.1084)	31 (147.9312)
2017-05-27	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2) Westmont, IL	36 / 59 (647.3828)	3 (174.2744)	55 (147.9772)	48 (157.7028)	14 (167.4284)
2017-05-05	*Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	20 / 29 (650.1832)	10 (170.8228)	28 (149.6688)	15 (162.8228)	10 (166.8688)
2016-07-22	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown) Peoria, IL	10 / 37 (667.9196)	5 (173.1200)	7 (168.6056)	7 (169.7028)	27 (156.4912)
2016-06-24	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL	15 / 33 (652.4912)	21 (163.4400)	4 (171.4172)	20 (161.6456)	21 (155.9884)
2016-06-03	Up In smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	43 / 52 (622.6740)	40 (160.5484)	41 (155.3828)	31 (161.7144)	48 (145.0284)
2016-05-28	Red, White & BBQ (Day 2) Westmont, IL	23 / 55 (665.0284)	47 (160.5256)	17 (166.8344)	1 (180.0000)	40 (157.6684)
2016-05-06	Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	15 / 40 (665.0168)	7 (170.2744)	10 (171.9772)	19 (166.2168)	26 (156.5484)
2015-07-24	5th Annual Morton BBQ Throwdown Morton, IL	34 / 47 (626.1600)	21 (162.2400)	41 (151.9772)	29 (160.5600)	41 (151.3828)
2015-06-05	Up In Smoke On The Square Lincoln, IL	25 / 40 (641.0744)	32 (158.2628)	5 (170.2972)	34 (153.1200)	23 (159.3944)
2015-05-23	Red, White and BBQ (Day 2) Westmont, IL	47 / 58 (630.7200)	52 (153.0856)	26 (163.9772)	37 (161.7028)	49 (151.9544)
2015-05-22	Red, White and BBQ (Day 1) Westmont, IL	31 / 41 (631.3828)	32 (158.2628)	23 (161.7144)	5 (170.2972)	40 (141.1084)
2015-05-01	Route 66 Smoke Out (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Dwight, IL	33 / 40 (622.6620)	28 (159.9540)	36 (145.0512)	28 (158.8684)	29 (158.7884)
2014-08-22	Up In Smoke On The Square Lincoln, IL	26 / 50 (650.9372)	16 (166.2856)	7 (170.3316)	28 (161.1544)	37 (153.1656)
2014-07-25	Morton BBQ Throwdown Morton, IL	17 / 48 (650.7656)	28 (162.2628)	5 (170.2744)	25 (161.7028)	27 (156.5256)
2014-07-11	Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest St. Charles, IL	6 / 34 (662.8228)	1 (178.3200)	32 (148.5372)	6 (168.0000)	5 (167.9656)
2014-06-13	Smoke on the Prairie Brimfield, IL	24 / 28 (617.0288)	15 (166.2860)	27 (143.3716)	25 (153.6684)	23 (153.7028)
2014-05-24	Red, White, And BBQ Westmont, IL	58 / 72 (613.1088)	28 (166.2744)	43 (158.8800)	58 (153.6916)	72 (134.2628)
2013-09-13	Q the Lou Litchfield, IL	15 / 25 (629.0860)	9 (162.8572)	10 (162.8572)	17 (160.5716)	21 (142.8000)
2013-08-23	Up In Smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	23 / 46 (656.5028)	29 (162.2400)	16 (168.0000)	15 (167.4628)	27 (158.8000)
2013-07-26	Morton BBQ Throwdown (TEAMS & JUDGES FULL - May email to be put on waitlist) Morton, IL	23 / 45 (637.5428)	15 (165.6800)	24 (158.2400)	34 (158.8228)	27 (154.8000)
2013-07-05	Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest St. Charles, IL	13 / 34 (641.7142)	23 (157.1428)	30 (150.2858)	3 (172.5714)	8 (161.7142)
2013-05-24	Westmont Red, White & BBQ Westmont, IL	68 / 70 (597.1426)	47 (158.2858)	38 (158.8570)	67 (145.7142)	70 (134.2856)

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1581 (118 pts)	#1672 (118 pts)	#1459 (143 pts)	#1350 (173 pts)	#1418 (148 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#765 (429 pts)	#507 (724 pts)	#827 (424 pts)	#683 (539 pts)	#557 (654 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#798 (471 pts)	#583 (691 pts)	#931 (411 pts)	#916 (416 pts)	#666 (596 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#775 (483 pts)	#730 (548 pts)	#611 (668 pts)	#592 (683 pts)	#1069 (318 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1167 (240 pts)	#1180 (260 pts)	#1234 (250 pts)	#966 (365 pts)	#1219 (240 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#715 (495 pts)	#598 (655 pts)	#671 (565 pts)	#818 (450 pts)	#766 (470 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#985 (294 pts)	#1089 (279 pts)	#1150 (259 pts)	#822 (399 pts)	#1004 (299 pts)