SWEET LIPS BBQ

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

Power ranking

#5543

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1449

peak 1500 · rated over 14 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-07-19

latest 2017-10-06

Best ToY finish

#666

Master 2014

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 14 contests

Avg finish

top 72%

overall standings

Best overall

660.4916 / 720

Master · Jim Beam BBQ Classic

Perfect 180s

Current form

657.16 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 643.67 (+13.49)

Walk rate

50%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Pork · Jim Beam BBQ Classic

Consistency

±14.93

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 163.61 · weakest Brisket (155.59)

Road miles

1,376

mi across 14 mapped stops · furthest 152 mi

Schedule strength

36%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1548)

Master avg

643.67 / 720

14 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

10–1 behind in the head-to-head

Extra Mile BBQ ahead in 91% of their meetings

Extra Mile BBQ has come out ahead in 10 of their 11 shared contests.

The weak link

−8.0 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 8.02 points below their pork, and turns into a call 7% of the time against 21%.

Brisket avg 155.59
Pork avg 163.61
1 calls in 14 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of DBL-D BARBEQUE.COM in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

The comeback

2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2 years, then back at Jim Beam BBQ Classic (2017-10-06).

last seen 2015-10-02
back 2017-10-06

Pork nemesis

8 of 10 shared pork entries lost

WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS ahead 80% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS has out-cooked them in 8 of 10 shared pork entries.

The metronome

±2.07% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.07% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.4% of a perfect score
14 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.

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

LEFLER'S PIT CREW

#5524 of the rated field

1450 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1450

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to SWEET LIPS BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SWEET LIPS BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2018-09-07

⚔ Head-to-head

Cherrywood BBQ Smoke Team

#5557 of the rated field

1449 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1449

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 13 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2026-07-09

⚔ Head-to-head

WHISKEY SMOKERS

#5534 of the rated field

1450 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1450

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 14, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2019-07-12

⚔ Head-to-head

FAT BEAR BBQ

#5548 of the rated field

1449 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1449

No shared contest yet.

17 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 6% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2026-04-03

⚔ Head-to-head

Shell Rock Smokers

#5538 of the rated field

1449 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1449

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 9 years after SWEET LIPS BBQ did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2026-07-31

⚔ Head-to-head

92 - BBQ

#5553 of the rated field

1449 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1507

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2024-07-19

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Extra Mile BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
ACME BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
BLUE CHIP BBQ	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
HUG HOGS	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
WeQ4U	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
YELLOW RIVER BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
FRIENDS OF OBR	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
GREY STREET BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
Pappy Q	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
BONEHEAD BBQ	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
FOWL BUTT BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
THUNDER HOG BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SQUEALERS AWARD WINNING BARBEQUE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	14	1	0	0	173.1200	157.0744	163.31	top 68%
Pork Ribs	14	3	0	0	173.7144	144.5600	161.16	top 58%
Pork	14	3	1	1	178.8572	153.6572	163.61	top 58%
Brisket	14	1	0	1	178.3200	140.4688	155.59	top 67%

“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
IN	8	0	top 71%
KY	6	0	top 72%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 70%
Large (40+)	8	0	top 73%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Jim Beam BBQ Classic	3	30	0	top 71%	2017-10-06
Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too!	2	31	0	top 61%	2014-07-18

The story so far (15 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 4.2 yrs 2013-07-19 → 2017-10-06

Busiest season 2014 8 contests

Contests a season 3.5 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in IN 8 of 14 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 11 2 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 14 entries · 0 wins · 1 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 163.61 · weakest Brisket (155.59)

Walk rate 50% a top-10 call in 7 of 14 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 14 contests

Master average 643.67 out of 720 · 14 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 279 165–429 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,376 14 mapped stops · furthest 152 mi

Schedule strength 1548 average field rating faced — tougher than 36% of rated contests

Longest layoff 2 yrs 2015-10-02 → 2017-10-06

Power rating 1449 peak 1500 · #5543 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Jul 19 First tracked contest Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too!
Sep 20 First call Marshall County
Sep 20 Peak power rating (1500) Marshall County
2014
Jun 27 First overall past 90% of a perfect score658.1376 Smoke on the Square: In Memory of David Harness
Oct 3 First category win (Pork) Jim Beam BBQ Classic
Oct 3 10th tracked contest Jim Beam BBQ Classic
Oct 3 Career-best single call (Pork)178.8572 Jim Beam BBQ Classic
2015
Oct 2 Career-best overall score660.4916 Jim Beam BBQ Classic
2017
Oct 6 Most recent contest Jim Beam BBQ Classic

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+1.1	Marshall County	2013-09-20
+0.5	Jim Beam BBQ Classic	2015-10-02

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.8	2nd Annual Parkinson's Smoke Out	2014-04-03
-7.3	Blazin' BBQ & Bluegrass	2014-09-19
-6.9	Smokin' On The Water	2014-05-03
-4.9	Bourbon City BBQ Festival	2015-06-05
-4.8	Bands & BBQ at the Point	2014-09-05

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2017	1	0	100%	top 77%	91.4%	91.4%
2015	3	0	33%	top 71%	91.7%	91.2%
2014	8	1	50%	top 76%	91.4%	88.5%
2013	2	0	50%	top 53%	89.6%	89.3%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017-10-06	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	34 / 44 (658.2744)	40 (159.9772)	41 (153.1200)	31 (166.8572)	2 (178.3200)
2015-10-02	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	30 / 45 (660.4916)	31 (164.5600)	13 (173.1428)	44 (154.2400)	15 (168.5488)
2015-09-25	Grillin N Chillin BBQ Owensboro, KY	25 / 38 (652.9944)	7 (173.1200)	24 (161.1316)	16 (166.2628)	29 (152.4800)
2015-06-05	Bourbon City BBQ Festival Bardstown, KY	27 / 34 (657.0516)	19 (167.9656)	20 (164.5372)	15 (170.8572)	31 (153.6916)
2014-10-03	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	31 / 44 (656.9832)	37 (163.9428)	7 (173.7144)	1 (178.8572)	43 (140.4688)
2014-09-19	Blazin' BBQ & Bluegrass Plymouth, IN	28 / 33 (629.5664)	27 (161.6800)	29 (151.9316)	4 (175.4516)	30 (140.5032)
2014-09-05	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	27 / 36 (637.4972)	30 (157.6456)	30 (154.7772)	7 (171.4172)	29 (153.6572)
2014-08-15	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	43 / 60 (635.7824)	44 (161.6684)	52 (151.3484)	28 (163.9656)	36 (158.8000)
2014-07-18	Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! New Palestine, IN	34 / 51 (645.0056)	34 (161.0856)	27 (163.4400)	45 (153.6572)	17 (166.8228)
2014-06-27	Smoke on the Square: In Memory of David Harness Franklin, IN	22 / 34 (658.1376)	29 (163.3944)	6 (171.4404)	22 (165.0972)	26 (158.2056)
2014-05-03	Smokin' On The Water Liberty, IN	34 / 43 (627.8856)	24 (166.2628)	23 (162.2972)	38 (154.2628)	37 (145.0628)
2014-04-03	2nd Annual Parkinson's Smoke Out Evansville, IN	63 / 64 (606.1256)	54 (157.0744)	63 (144.5600)	49 (157.6800)	62 (146.8112)
2013-09-20	Marshall County Plymouth, IN	14 / 27 (645.0400)	13 (164.5484)	5 (170.8460)	22 (154.2400)	17 (155.4056)
2013-07-19	Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! New Palestine, IN	31 / 57 (640.5028)	29 (163.4056)	29 (159.9544)	41 (157.7028)	29 (159.4400)

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
2017 ↗	Master	#2212 (60 pts)	#2286 (60 pts)	#2304 (60 pts)	#2260 (60 pts)	#1199 (260 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1811 (119 pts)	#1635 (149 pts)	#1383 (204 pts)	#1567 (169 pts)	#1514 (169 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#666 (555 pts)	#699 (545 pts)	#513 (770 pts)	#356 (1035 pts)	#642 (580 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1801 (107 pts)	#1847 (112 pts)	#1456 (177 pts)	#2500 (67 pts)	#1932 (92 pts)