FIRECRAFT

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

Power ranking

#2227

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1529

peak 1531 · rated over 8 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-08-09

latest 2016-04-08

Best ToY finish

#1034

Master 2014

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 8 contests

Avg finish

top 42%

overall standings

Best overall

673.7484 / 720

Master · New Holland Summer Fest

Perfect 180s

Current form

646.33 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 636.27 (+10.06)

Walk rate

63%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.5828

Chicken · New Holland Summer Fest

Consistency

±20.48

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 164.41 · weakest Brisket (152.49)

Road miles

555

mi across 8 mapped stops · furthest 101 mi

Schedule strength

23%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1531)

Master avg

636.27 / 720

8 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 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.

Happy hunting ground

Top 20% average finish here

New Holland Summer Fest is their spot: an average finish in the top 20% across 3 visits.

3 visits
best finish 5th
average top 20%

They almost always walk

63% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 5 of 8 contests

A top-10 category call in 63% of their 8 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

673.7484 career-best overall

93.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 673.7484 at New Holland Summer Fest — 93.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
2015-08-28

A tough matchup

6–1 behind in the head-to-head

APORKALYPSE NOW ahead in 86% of their meetings

APORKALYPSE NOW has come out ahead in 6 of their 7 shared contests.

The weak link

−11.9 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 11.92 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 38%.

Brisket avg 152.49
Chicken avg 164.41
0 calls in 8 entries

A strong matchup

6–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 86% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Bad Dog BBQ in 6 of their 7 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

5 of 7 shared chicken entries lost

APORKALYPSE NOW ahead 71% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, APORKALYPSE NOW has out-cooked them in 5 of 7 shared chicken entries.

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.

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

BABY GOT BUTT BBQ MD

#2229 of the rated field

1529 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1534

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to FIRECRAFT)

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

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2016-10-08

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin Aces

#2232 of the rated field

1529 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 90
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1639

1–2 in 3 shared contests (33% to FIRECRAFT)

They've been 1639 at their best, 110 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 89 contests
last seen 2024-05-25

⚔ Head-to-head

Tipsy Smoker

#2238 of the rated field

1529 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1529

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 9 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2026-05-08

⚔ Head-to-head

GREEN APPLE Q

#2234 of the rated field

1529 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1529

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2021-06-25

⚔ Head-to-head

RACK 'N BUTT BBQ

#2230 of the rated field

1529 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1529

No shared contest yet.

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 2016-09-09

⚔ Head-to-head

PIG LOVE Q

#2237 of the rated field

1529 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1532

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2014-05-16

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Bad Dog BBQ	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
APORKALYPSE NOW	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
BOVINE & SWINE	6	6	0	100%	⚔ compare
MUST B SMOKIN' SOMETHING	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
THE BBQ GURU	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
SLOWER LOWER BBQ	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
WILBUR'S REVENGE	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
PIGHEADED BBQ	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
SHADY CREW	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
FLYING PORKERS	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
LO' -N- SLO' BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Palm tree smokehouse	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
LITTLE CREEK BAR B CUE COMPANY	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
Big D's BBQ	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	8	3	1	176.5828	149.0856	164.41	top 29%
Pork Ribs	8	2	0	169.1772	148.5144	160.63	top 39%
Pork	8	3	0	168.5600	144.5828	158.75	top 41%
Brisket	8	0	0	167.9656	137.7144	152.49	top 56%

“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
DE	3	top 52%
PA	3	top 20%
NJ	1	top 37%
MD	1	top 80%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
New Holland Summer Fest	3	5	0	top 20%	2015-08-28

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

On the trail 2.7 yrs 2013-08-09 → 2016-04-08

Busiest season 2014 3 contests

Contests a season 2 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in DE 3 of 8 contests · 4 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 6 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 8 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 164.41 · weakest Brisket (152.49)

Walk rate 63% a top-10 call in 5 of 8 contests

Overall top-10 rate 13% 1 of 8 contests

Master average 636.27 out of 720 · 8 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 323 357–261 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 555 8 mapped stops · furthest 101 mi

Schedule strength 1531 average field rating faced — tougher than 23% of rated contests

Power rating 1529 peak 1531 · #2227 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Aug 9 First tracked contest 12th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash
Aug 23 First call New Holland Summer Fest
2014
Aug 22 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.9428 New Holland Summer Fest
2015
Aug 28 First overall top-10 New Holland Summer Fest
Aug 28 Career-best overall score673.7484 New Holland Summer Fest
Aug 28 Career-best single call (Chicken)176.5828 New Holland Summer Fest
Aug 28 Peak power rating (1531) New Holland Summer Fest
2016
Apr 8 Most recent contest Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.8	New Holland Summer Fest	2015-08-28
+12.7	New Holland Summer Fest	2014-08-22
+5.3	DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship	2014-10-03
+2.6	Delaware's Triple Threat BBQ Festival at the Fair	2014-04-11
+2.3	New Holland Summer Fest	2013-08-23

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.7	12th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash	2013-08-09
-1.3	Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval	2016-04-08

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2016	1	0	100%	top 59%	87.8%	87.8%
2015	2	1	50%	top 28%	93.6%	90.8%
2014	3	0	67%	top 33%	90.5%	88.7%
2013	2	0	50%	top 58%	88.6%	85.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2016-04-08	Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval Harrington, DE	44 / 75 (631.9200)	9 (170.8572)	61 (148.5144)	68 (144.5828)	15 (167.9656)
2015-08-28	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	5 / 70 (673.7484)	2 (176.5828)	10 (169.1772)	7 (168.5600)	28 (159.4284)
2015-04-10	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival Harrington, DE	49 / 99 (634.1372)	23 (167.4060)	51 (158.2628)	47 (159.9312)	76 (148.5372)
2014-10-03	DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship Atlantic City, NJ	24 / 65 (639.9204)	24 (161.1200)	17 (163.4060)	9 (167.4172)	40 (147.9772)
2014-08-22	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	11 / 70 (651.9428)	19 (164.5944)	19 (163.4172)	21 (161.1084)	14 (162.8228)
2014-04-11	Delaware's Triple Threat BBQ Festival at the Fair Harrington, DE	52 / 109 (623.2912)	50 (157.6456)	7 (168.5828)	72 (151.3600)	81 (145.7028)
2013-08-23	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	26 / 71 (637.6572)	7 (167.9772)	43 (153.1200)	6 (166.8228)	47 (149.7372)
2013-08-09	12th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	48 / 60 (597.5540)	45 (149.0856)	25 (160.5256)	39 (150.2284)	54 (137.7144)

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
2014 ↗	Master	#1034 (300 pts)	#1219 (260 pts)	#908 (400 pts)	#1030 (330 pts)	#1126 (280 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1471 (150 pts)	#1142 (255 pts)	#1571 (150 pts)	#1130 (265 pts)	#1506 (150 pts)