Smoke Busters

Smoke Busters is a competition barbecue team with 30 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Roast N Boast (2024). They are ranked #1556 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,556

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1561

peak 1584 · rated over 26 contests3 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 3, 2013

latest May 29, 2026 · 13.1 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#92

Master 2024 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve · wins it all 3% of the time

Category wins

11 podiums

Overall top-10s

30% of 30 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 53%

overall standings

Best overall

700.5372 / 720

Master · Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

683.20 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 674.90 (+8.30)

Walk rate

63%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Chicken · Smokin on the Rez

Consistency

±33.23

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 170.14 · weakest Brisket (167.60)

Road miles

6,616

across 30 mapped stops · furthest 414 mi

Schedule strength

78%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1601)

Purse competed for

$346K

listed at 24 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

1 🏅

won from 23 state-championship entries

Master avg

674.90 / 720

28 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (13 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

Against the odds

21-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 79 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Roast N Boast (Oct 18, 2024) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 21-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, Colorado Bulldawg BBQ.

They almost always walk

63% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 19 of 30 contests

A top-10 category call in 63% of their 30 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

700.5372 career-best overall

97.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 700.5372 at Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival — 97.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 27, 2024

State champions

1 state championship won

They've taken 1 state championship from 23 entries at contests carrying the title.

23 state-championship entries

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Glamping Grillers has finished one call ahead of Smoke Busters 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2024 1 Grand Championship

2024 was the year it came together: 10 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 30%.

10 contests
7 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 30%

The drought

16 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Roast N Boast on Oct 18, 2024 — 16 contests and 2 years ago.

last GC Oct 18, 2024
2 years ago

Show 6 more storylines

A strong matchup

6–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Rankin County BBQ Company in 6 of their 8 shared contests.

The comeback

8.3 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 8.3 years, then back at TN River BBQ Fest (Aug 25, 2023).

last seen May 1, 2015
back Aug 25, 2023

Chicken nemesis

15 of 21 shared chicken entries lost

Glamping Grillers ahead 71% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Glamping Grillers has out-cooked them in 15 of 21 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

Piggin' Whiskey has landed one call behind them 3 times.

A September team

Top 34% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 34% across 3 contests, versus top 53% the rest of the year.

3 September contests
top 53% the rest of the year

The long haul

6,616 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 6,616 miles across 30 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 414 miles to Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival.

30 mapped stops
furthest 414 mi

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026 ↗	Master	#751 (153 pts)	#771 (183 pts)	#869 (163 pts)	#658 (233 pts)	#738 (183 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#227 (971 pts)	#194 (1,156 pts)	#278 (921 pts)	#105 (1,506 pts)	#253 (911 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#92 (1,526 pts)	#66 (1,692 pts)	#125 (1,371 pts)	#133 (1,266 pts)	#55 (1,712 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#1135 (88 pts)	#1228 (83 pts)	#1238 (108 pts)	#1199 (83 pts)	#1059 (118 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1970 (75 pts)	#2073 (75 pts)	#2043 (75 pts)	#2080 (75 pts)	#2034 (75 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Smoke Busters, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Blue Ribbon BBQ NC

#1,544 of the rated field

1561 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1591

They've been 1591 at their best, 30 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 25 contests
last seen May 17, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

Darty-Q

#1,558 of the rated field

1561 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1576

Careers of much the same size, 33 contests to 30, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 28 contests
last seen May 16, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

Hill Billy BBQ

#1,548 of the rated field

1561 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1600

29 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 38% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 29 contests
last seen May 16, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

MILLER'S BARNYARD BARBEQUE

#1,546 of the rated field

1561 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1563

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Smoke Busters's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 31 contests

⚔ Compare careers

EVIL MONKEY BBQ

#1,554 of the rated field

1561 power rating

Contests: 34
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1591

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

rated over 34 contests
last seen May 7, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

SPICEWINE IRONWORKS

#1,552 of the rated field

1561 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 37%
Peak: 1567

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

rated over 19 contests
last seen Jul 7, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Glamping Grillers	21	4	17	19%	⚔ compare
PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ	18	5	13	28%	⚔ compare
MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ	16	8	8	50%	⚔ compare
RAZORRACKS	16	3	13	19%	⚔ compare
Kith n' Kin	14	4	10	29%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	14	2	12	14%	⚔ compare
Kermit's Ex	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
Poppa Pig	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
FIRE DANCER BBQ	12	6	6	50%	⚔ compare
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
UNCLE FEOL'S TENNESSEE STYLE BBQ	10	6	4	60%	⚔ compare
TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
JANKY LEG BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
DANG GOOD BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
TRIPLE H BBQ	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	28	11	1	3	178.8572	127.3484	170.14	top 45%
Pork Ribs	30	5	0	1	177.7028	133.7028	167.67	top 59%
Pork	28	10	0	5	178.2972	145.0972	169.53	top 49%
Brisket	28	8	1	2	178.8572	147.3944	167.60	top 52%

“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 field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	4	1	top 53%
Medium (20–39)	14	0	top 48%
Large (40+)	10	0	top 61%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
MS	9	1	top 48%
TN	7	0	top 63%
AL	3	0	top 59%
AR	3	0	top 20%
OK	3	0	top 82%
LA	2	0	top 35%
IL	1	0	top 67%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Southaven Springfest	3	7	top 36%	Apr 24, 2026
VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition	2	6	top 35%	Oct 24, 2025
Poosa Q	2	21	top 54%	Jun 20, 2025
7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025)	2	56	top 80%	May 25, 2025

More numbers

Busiest season 2025 13 contests

Contests a season 4.3 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MS 9 of 30 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 23 4 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 30 entries · 0 wins · 5 calls

First title Oct 18, 2024 Roast N Boast

Opponents faced 711 finished ahead 551 times, behind 846

Longest layoff 8.3 yrs May 1, 2015 → Aug 25, 2023

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

20261 milestone

May 29 Most recent contest Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Contest

20253 milestones

Apr 4 Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8572 Smokin on the Rez
May 2 Peak power rating (1584) Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Fest
Sep 13 25th tracked contest Trekking for CDH

20247 milestones

Apr 26 First overall top-10 Southaven Springfest
Jun 7 First category win (Brisket) Hayden West's Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
Jun 7 10th tracked contest Hayden West's Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
Sep 27 Career-best overall score700.5372 Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival
Oct 18 First overall podium Roast N Boast
Oct 18 First Grand Championship Roast N Boast
Oct 18 First state championship Roast N Boast

20232 milestones

Aug 25 First overall past 90% of a perfect score669.5544 TN River BBQ Fest
Nov 11 First call Biloxi Blues & BBQ Festival

20131 milestone

May 3 First tracked contest Bixby BBQ & Blues Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.6	Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival	Sep 27, 2024
+16.5	Roast N Boast	Oct 18, 2024
+15.6	Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival	May 17, 2024
+14.7	Southaven Springfest	Apr 26, 2024
+13.1	Smoke on the Water	Sep 20, 2024

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.9	Bixby BBQ & Blues Festival	May 3, 2013
-9.9	Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival	May 1, 2015
-7	Poosa Q	Jun 20, 2025
-6.5	Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival	May 2, 2014
-5.9	Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Contest	May 29, 2026

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	2	0	0	0	50%	top 72%	95.9%	95.5%
2025	13	0	2	0	54%	top 61%	96.6%	94.8%
2024	10	1	7	2	100%	top 30%	97.3%	95.9%
2023	2	0	0	0	50%	top 66%	95.8%	94.4%
2015	1	0	0	0	0%	top 88%	76.9%	76.9%
2014	1	0	0	0	0%	top 74%	83.8%	83.8%
2013	1	0	0	0	0%	top 84%	82.5%	82.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 29, 2026	Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Contest 🏅 Covington, TN	20 / 25 (690.1828)	11 (176.5600)	22 (169.6800)	15 (173.1200)	17 (170.8228)
Apr 24, 2026	Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS	21 / 33 (685.0400)	24 (169.1084)	17 (171.9772)	10 (174.2744)	18 (169.6800)
Oct 24, 2025	VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition 🏅 Vidalia, LA	17 / 33 (682.7428)	17 (167.3828)	18 (170.2628)	3 (176.5716)	14 (168.5256)
Oct 17, 2025	Roast N Boast 🏅 Columbus, MS	9 / 13 (678.7084)	7 (171.9656)	5 (171.9772)	11 (168.5256)	8 (166.2400)
Oct 3, 2025	Hub City BBQ Fest (formerly TN River BBQ Fest) 🏅 Jackson, TN	13 / 25 (679.3144)	5 (175.4056)	20 (167.9888)	6 (175.4172)	19 (160.5028)
Sep 13, 2025	Trekking for CDH 🏅 Pierron, IL	18 / 27 (687.3372)	21 (170.8228)	19 (170.8344)	8 (174.2628)	14 (171.4172)
Sep 13, 2025	Trekking for CDH (ONE MEAT RIBS) Pierron, IL	—	—	14 (169.1200)	—	—
Jun 20, 2025	Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL	30 / 42 (678.7428)	29 (170.8228)	18 (171.9656)	19 (173.1544)	38 (162.8000)
May 25, 2025	7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN	56 / 70 (680.9940)	20 (176.5600)	68 (165.0856)	45 (171.9656)	61 (167.3828)
May 24, 2025	7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Saturday, May 24, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN	84 / 106 (674.7084)	46 (173.1200)	102 (163.3828)	34 (174.2628)	90 (163.9428)
May 23, 2025	7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Ribs (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN	—	—	39 (167.3828)	—	—
May 2, 2025	Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Fest 🏅 Brookhaven, MS	14 / 27 (689.0628)	13 (174.2628)	13 (172.5600)	3 (177.7144)	21 (164.5256)
Apr 25, 2025	Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS	7 / 34 (695.3600)	10 (175.4056)	27 (169.6800)	2 (178.2972)	14 (171.9772)
Apr 4, 2025	Smokin on the Rez 🏅 Ridgeland, MS	13 / 17 (678.7772)	3 (178.8572)	17 (155.3828)	6 (176.0116)	11 (168.5256)
Mar 14, 2025	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	54 / 100 (682.1600)	46 (173.1200)	45 (170.8228)	48 (170.8344)	59 (167.3828)
Oct 25, 2024	VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition 🏅 Vidalia, LA	6 / 31 (692.4800)	1 (177.7144)	15 (173.1200)	16 (170.8228)	11 (170.8228)
Oct 18, 2024	Roast N Boast 🏅 Columbus, MS	1 / 15 (699.9312)	4 (174.2628)	3 (176.5600)	3 (173.7028)	2 (175.4056)
Oct 4, 2024	Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL	21 / 59 (685.6112)	15 (174.2628)	8 (174.8572)	55 (160.4912)	7 (176)
Sep 27, 2024	Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival 🏅 Jonesboro, AR	4 / 27 (700.5372)	8 (173.1084)	8 (174.2744)	2 (178.2972)	7 (174.8572)
Sep 20, 2024	Smoke on the Water 🏅 Pine Bluff, AR	9 / 42 (686.7884)	27 (166.8456)	16 (170.2628)	12 (173.1200)	4 (176.5600)
Jun 7, 2024	Hayden West's Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR	8 / 33 (694.8000)	13 (173.1200)	13 (172.5600)	14 (170.2628)	1 (178.8572)
May 17, 2024	Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival 🏅 Sevierville, TN	7 / 31 (694.7656)	8 (174.2628)	13 (173.1200)	10 (174.2628)	12 (173.1200)
May 3, 2024	Hog Wild BBQ & Family Fest 🏅 Brookhaven, MS	15 / 25 (678.7316)	2 (178.8572)	11 (173.1084)	13 (169.6916)	23 (157.0744)
Apr 26, 2024	Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS	10 / 44 (693.0740)	7 (174.8456)	6 (177.7028)	30 (168.5600)	15 (171.9656)
Apr 12, 2024	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	22 / 31 (677.0172)	14 (175.4172)	24 (167.3944)	30 (161.0856)	9 (173.1200)
Nov 11, 2023	Biloxi Blues & BBQ Festival 🏅 Biloxi, MS	11 / 19 (689.6112)	5 (175.4056)	11 (173.1200)	14 (166.8228)	6 (174.2628)
Aug 25, 2023	TN River BBQ Fest 🏅 Saltillo, TN	17 / 23 (669.5544)	18 (168.5372)	13 (166.2400)	18 (167.3828)	11 (167.3944)
May 1, 2015	Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival Bixby, OK	71 / 81 (553.5428)	76 (127.3484)	79 (133.7028)	73 (145.0972)	63 (147.3944)
May 2, 2014	Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival Bixby, OK	59 / 80 (603.3140)	66 (148)	58 (152)	61 (151.9884)	51 (151.3256)
May 3, 2013	Bixby BBQ & Blues Festival Bixby, OK	74 / 88 (594.2858)	75 (148.5714)	80 (144)	78 (150.8572)	64 (150.8572)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

Smoke Busters

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (13 found in their record)

Against the odds

They almost always walk

High-water mark

State champions

The one to beat

Their season

The drought

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A September team

The long haul

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)