FLAME THROWER BBQ CO.

FLAME THROWER BBQ CO. is a competition barbecue team with 25 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 7th of 24 at the Grills N' Grilles- Nevada County United Way (2015). They are ranked #3490 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,490

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1493

peak 1518 · rated over 25 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 2, 2014

latest May 31, 2019 · 5.1 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#511

Master 2017 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

5 podiums

Overall top-10s

8% of 25 contests

Avg finish

top 59%

overall standings

Best overall

669.6912 / 720

Master · 3rd Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

636.26 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 638.71 (-2.45)

Walk rate

64%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176

Pork Ribs · 3rd Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship

Consistency

±19.58

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 163.32 · weakest Brisket (153.30)

Road miles

2,420

across 25 mapped stops · furthest 338 mi

Schedule strength

41%

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

Purse competed for

$8,500

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

638.71 / 720

25 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (10 found in their record)

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

They almost always walk

64% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 16 of 25 contests

A top-10 category call in 64% of their 25 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

669.6912 career-best overall

93.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 669.6912 at 3rd Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship — 93.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 15, 2017

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Ric's Righteous Ribs has finished one call ahead of FLAME THROWER BBQ CO. 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 41%.

4 contests
1 overall top-10
0 category wins
average top 41%

A tough matchup

23–1 behind in the head-to-head

Smokey and the Pirate ahead in 96% of their meetings

Smokey and the Pirate has come out ahead in 23 of their 24 shared contests.

The weak link

−10.0 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 10.02 points below their pork, and turns into a call 8% of the time against 40%.

Brisket avg 153.30
Pork avg 163.32
2 calls in 25 entries

A strong matchup

10–4 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 71% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKIN' AXE BBQ in 10 of their 14 shared contests.

Show 3 more storylines

Pork nemesis

17 of 24 shared pork entries lost

Smokey and the Pirate ahead 71% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Smokey and the Pirate has out-cooked them in 17 of 24 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

CANYON RIDERS BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An August team

Top 44% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 44% across 4 contests, versus top 59% the rest of the year.

4 August contests
top 59% the rest of the year

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1355 (150 pts)	#1459 (145 pts)	#1369 (165 pts)	#1265 (190 pts)	#1277 (180 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1011 (275 pts)	#1013 (300 pts)	#853 (405 pts)	#1159 (240 pts)	#850 (395 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#511 (751 pts)	#593 (676 pts)	#307 (1,141 pts)	#299 (1,171 pts)	#612 (646 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#912 (373 pts)	#929 (393 pts)	#810 (493 pts)	#597 (673 pts)	#1126 (293 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1014 (299 pts)	#986 (344 pts)	#967 (359 pts)	#1001 (344 pts)	#1188 (249 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1647 (149 pts)	#1477 (194 pts)	#1613 (159 pts)	#1723 (149 pts)	#1817 (134 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to FLAME THROWER BBQ CO., each with one reason worth a look.

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

RBQ

#3,466 of the rated field

1494 power rating

Contests: 67
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1594

6–15 in 21 shared contests (29% to FLAME THROWER BBQ CO.)

These two have cooked 21 of the same contests — RBQ ahead 15–6 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 66 contests
last seen Aug 7, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

M2 Smokin' Q

#3,498 of the rated field

1493 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1514

Careers of much the same size, 28 contests to 25, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Oct 9, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

CHOCOLATE CITY BBQ

#3,492 of the rated field

1493 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1526

They've been 1526 at their best, 33 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Oct 18, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

Barking Pig BBQ

#3,503 of the rated field

1493 power rating

Contests: 34
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1552

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 34 contests, alongside a 9% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 30 contests
last seen Jul 17, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Whistle Pig BBQ

#3,499 of the rated field

1493 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1529

Level with FLAME THROWER BBQ CO. on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 33 contests
last seen Aug 28, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

JUSTCUZ BBQ

#3,486 of the rated field

1493 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1514

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2014.

rated over 18 contests
last seen May 6, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Smokey and the Pirate	24	1	23	4%	⚔ compare
PIRATES OF THE PIG	22	3	19	14%	⚔ compare
RBQ	21	6	15	29%	⚔ compare
NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT	19	6	13	32%	⚔ compare
SON OF SMOKE	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
BAR-B-Q'S-2GO	16	3	13	19%	⚔ compare
SMOKED SEDUCTION	16	3	13	19%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' AXE BBQ	14	10	4	71%	⚔ compare
CANYON RIDERS BBQ	14	7	7	50%	⚔ compare
2 ROLLING BONES	13	6	7	46%	⚔ compare
BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
ROYAL SMOKIN' HOT	12	3	9	25%	⚔ compare
The Smoking J's	12	3	9	25%	⚔ compare
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
PORK DADDY'S BBQ	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	25	1	0	173.1084	149.1200	160.57	top 60%
Pork Ribs	25	8	2	176	134.8004	161.51	top 46%
Pork	25	10	3	174.3200	142.2856	163.32	top 44%
Brisket	25	2	0	169.1888	141.7144	153.30	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 field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	12	0	top 61%
Large (40+)	13	0	top 57%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
CA	24	0	top 59%
NV	1	0	top 63%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Lodi Beerfest & BBQ Championship	2	36	top 79%	Apr 26, 2019
Silicon Valley BBQ Championship	2	18	top 46%	Jun 22, 2018
Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship	2	23	top 73%	May 4, 2018
Wine Country Big Q Competition and Festival	2	14	top 40%	Jul 7, 2017
Smoke on the River	2	17	top 57%	Sep 18, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2017 8 contests

Contests a season 4.2 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in CA 24 of 25 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 20 5 of them more than once

Opponents faced 357 finished ahead 420 times, behind 574

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

20192 milestones

May 31 25th tracked contest Throwdown in the Vineyards
May 31 Most recent contest Throwdown in the Vineyards

20173 milestones

Sep 15 Career-best overall score669.6912 3rd Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship
Sep 15 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)176 3rd Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship
Sep 29 Peak power rating (1518) Unruly Country Brew N' Que Festival (JUDGES FULL)

20161 milestone

Aug 26 10th tracked contest Grills 'N' Grilles (presented by the United Way of Nevada Country)

20153 milestones

Jun 26 First call Silicon Valley BBQ Championships
Aug 7 First overall top-10 Grills N' Grilles- Nevada County United Way
Aug 7 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.4516 Grills N' Grilles- Nevada County United Way

20141 milestone

May 2 First tracked contest Elk Grove Western Festival & BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+9.6	Wine Country Big Q Competition and Festival	Jul 7, 2017
+9.2	Grills N' Grilles- Nevada County United Way	Aug 7, 2015
+8	Silicon Valley BBQ Championships	Jun 26, 2015
+7.9	Silicon Valley BBQ Championship	Jun 22, 2018
+7.2	3rd Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship	Sep 15, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.5	Elk Grove Western Festival & BBQ Championship	May 2, 2014
-9	Lodi Beerfest & BBQ Championship	Apr 20, 2018
-8.7	Silicon Valley Barbeque Championships	Jun 24, 2016
-7.4	Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship	May 4, 2018
-6	Lodi Beerfest & BBQ Championship	Apr 26, 2019

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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	2	0	50%	top 78%	87.7%	87%
2018	4	0	50%	top 67%	92.4%	88.8%
2017	8	1	88%	top 51%	93%	90.5%
2016	5	0	60%	top 65%	91.1%	87.4%
2015	4	1	75%	top 41%	90.5%	89.9%
2014	2	0	0%	top 77%	86.3%	83.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 31, 2019	Throwdown in the Vineyards 🏅 Murphy, CA	16 / 20 (621.5996)	17 (156.5484)	14 (158.2628)	18 (147.3828)	10 (159.4056)
Apr 26, 2019	Lodi Beerfest & BBQ Championship 🏅 Lodi, CA	36 / 48 (631.4400)	44 (150.2284)	24 (164.0228)	15 (168.0572)	38 (149.1316)
Sep 14, 2018	4th Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship Oroville, CA	31 / 43 (643.8972)	30 (163.9656)	40 (150.7656)	29 (159.9772)	7 (169.1888)
Jun 22, 2018	Silicon Valley BBQ Championship Santa Clara, CA	18 / 49 (665.0860)	13 (173.1084)	5 (170.8572)	35 (159.9660)	25 (161.1544)
May 4, 2018	Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship Elk Grove, CA	27 / 35 (619.2568)	31 (150.7884)	25 (157.0972)	33 (149.1084)	15 (162.2628)
Apr 20, 2018	Lodi Beerfest & BBQ Championship Lodi, CA	40 / 48 (628.5028)	37 (159.9428)	17 (165.1544)	28 (160)	44 (143.4056)
Sep 29, 2017	Unruly Country Brew N' Que Festival (JUDGES FULL) Sonora, CA	17 / 30 (657.6572)	9 (169.7028)	5 (171.9772)	14 (167.9656)	25 (148.0116)
Sep 15, 2017	3rd Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship Oroville, CA	18 / 48 (669.6912)	33 (161.7028)	3 (176)	11 (170.2628)	28 (161.7256)
Aug 25, 2017	Grills N Grills penn Valley, CA	13 / 27 (653.6228)	22 (158.8228)	18 (163.9772)	4 (171.4056)	19 (159.4172)
Aug 11, 2017	Ceres Bands Brews & BBQ Throwdown / Formerly Smoke on the River Ceres, CA	10 / 21 (642.7884)	18 (154.8228)	2 (172)	4 (170.8228)	16 (145.1428)
Jul 7, 2017	Wine Country Big Q Competition and Festival Petaluma, CA	14 / 50 (666.7656)	14 (170.2628)	6 (173.1428)	8 (170.8228)	37 (152.5372)
Jun 23, 2017	Silicon Valley BBQ Championship Santa Clara, CA	34 / 62 (645.6000)	37 (158.8228)	31 (161.7144)	22 (166.2400)	31 (158.8228)
May 5, 2017	Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship Elk Grove, CA	23 / 33 (630.2744)	17 (161.1428)	32 (140.5144)	9 (165.1200)	11 (163.4972)
Mar 24, 2017	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Reno, NV	19 / 30 (649.1316)	27 (156.0116)	16 (161.7144)	7 (169.6684)	14 (161.7372)
Sep 16, 2016	2nd Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship Oroville, CA	47 / 61 (613.1200)	55 (149.1200)	20 (165.0972)	51 (152.0228)	53 (146.8800)
Aug 26, 2016	Grills 'N' Grilles (presented by the United Way of Nevada Country) Penn Valley, CA	14 / 28 (644.5256)	12 (164)	4 (170.2856)	8 (166.2628)	26 (143.9772)
Jul 8, 2016	Wine Country Big Q Competition and Festival Petaluma, CA	20 / 38 (624.5028)	18 (158.8572)	20 (154.8228)	8 (166.8228)	30 (144)
Jun 24, 2016	Silicon Valley Barbeque Championships Santa Clara, CA	45 / 54 (607.3720)	34 (156.5372)	51 (134.8004)	3 (174.3200)	47 (141.7144)
Apr 1, 2016	5th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arciadia, CA	43 / 72 (655.9312)	56 (161.1772)	30 (166.8228)	22 (169.6800)	51 (158.2512)
Oct 2, 2015	1st Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship Oroville, CA	21 / 41 (648.4800)	11 (170.2856)	10 (168.5716)	29 (158.2284)	29 (151.3944)
Sep 18, 2015	Smoke on the River Sacramento, CA	24 / 49 (641.0856)	18 (162.2856)	17 (162.8344)	31 (155.9884)	19 (159.9772)
Aug 7, 2015	Grills N' Grilles- Nevada County United Way Penn Valley, CA	7 / 24 (651.4516)	11 (165.1428)	10 (162.2744)	3 (170.8800)	15 (153.1544)
Jun 26, 2015	Silicon Valley BBQ Championships Santa Clara, CA	16 / 49 (647.4632)	16 (162.2860)	11 (168)	3 (170.8572)	36 (146.3200)
Sep 5, 2014	Smoke on the River Sacramento, CA	17 / 26 (621.1544)	16 (160.5828)	15 (156.5260)	17 (158.8800)	20 (145.1656)
May 2, 2014	Elk Grove Western Festival & BBQ Championship Elk Grove, CA	29 / 33 (587.2456)	17 (158.2056)	31 (140.5028)	31 (142.2856)	26 (146.2516)

FLAME THROWER BBQ CO.

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

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 (10 found in their record)

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An August team

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)