Rolling Bones Traveling BBQ Circus

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

Power ranking

#1933

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1541

peak 1541 · rated over 8 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-03-21

latest 2014-09-05

Best ToY finish

#1877

Master 2014

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

5 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 8 contests

Avg finish

top 39%

overall standings

Best overall

661.1772 / 720

Master · Siskiyou Beef Country Cook-Off

Perfect 180s

Current form

652.90

last 5 Master vs avg 653.19 (-0.29)

Walk rate

88%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

and counting

Best single call

176.0228

Chicken · Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)

Consistency

±6.56

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 164.57 · weakest Brisket (161.36)

Road miles

1,754

mi across 8 mapped stops · furthest 404 mi

Schedule strength

25%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1534)

Master avg

653.19 / 720

8 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (8 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.

On the rise

+33 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 33 points across 8 contests since 2014-03-21 — from 1508 up to 1541.

8 contests since 2014-03-21
now 1541

Signature meat

25% pork ribs entries won

2 wins from 8 entries

When pork ribs is on the table, watch out — they've won it in 25% of their entries (2 of 8).

best 176.0228
average 164.08
3 calls

They almost always walk

88% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 7 of 8 contests

A top-10 category call in 88% of their 8 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

PORK DYNASTY has finished one call ahead of Rolling Bones Traveling BBQ Circus 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

6–0 behind in the head-to-head

BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ has come out ahead in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of DADDY O'S SMOKIN' BBQ in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

5 of 5 shared chicken entries lost

PIRATES OF THE PIG ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, PIRATES OF THE PIG has out-cooked them in 5 of 5 shared chicken entries.

The metronome

±0.91% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±0.91% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.7% of a perfect score
8 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.

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

HOUND DOG BARBECUE

#1937 of the rated field

1541 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1541

2–1 in 3 shared contests (67% to Rolling Bones Traveling BBQ Circus)

These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — Rolling Bones Traveling BBQ Circus ahead 2–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2014-09-05

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKE SHOW

#1941 of the rated field

1540 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 44
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1627

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Rolling Bones Traveling BBQ Circus)

They've been 1627 at their best, 87 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 42 contests
last seen 2025-09-13

⚔ Head-to-head

Ahh Townley BBQ

#1935 of the rated field

1541 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1542

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2026-03-13

⚔ Head-to-head

Burnt Plow BBQ

#1925 of the rated field

1541 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1541

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 11 years after Rolling Bones Traveling BBQ Circus did, first appearing in 2025.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2026-06-12

⚔ Head-to-head

CRAWFORD'S BBQ

#1939 of the rated field

1540 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1540

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 10 contests, alongside a 40% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2022-09-29

⚔ Head-to-head

FIRE & ICE BBQ

#1927 of the rated field

1541 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1541

No shared contest yet.

Level with Rolling Bones Traveling BBQ Circus on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2017-06-02

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
PIRATES OF THE PIG	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare
TOO ASHAMED TO NAME	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
SON OF SMOKE	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	8	3	0	1	176.0228	157.7028	164.57	top 42%
Pork Ribs	8	3	2	2	176.0228	147.9888	164.08	top 38%
Pork	8	4	0	1	172.0000	149.0744	163.19	top 41%
Brisket	8	3	1	1	174.2972	149.6912	161.36	top 43%

“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
CA	6	0	top 25%
NV	2	0	top 78%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 28%
Medium (20–39)	4	top 35%
Large (40+)	3	top 47%

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

On the trail 0.5 yrs 2014-03-21 → 2014-09-05

Busiest season 2014 8 contests

Cooks most in CA 6 of 8 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 8 0 of them cooked more than once

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

Strongest meat Chicken averages 164.57 · weakest Brisket (161.36)

Walk rate 88% a top-10 call in 7 of 8 contests

Overall top-10 rate 50% 4 of 8 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests — and still running

Master average 653.19 out of 720 · 8 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 199 179–113 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,754 8 mapped stops · furthest 404 mi

Schedule strength 1534 average field rating faced — tougher than 25% of rated contests

Power rating 1541 peak 1541 · #1933 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
Mar 21 First tracked contest 3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship
Mar 21 First call 3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship
Mar 21 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.9772 3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship
Mar 28 First category win (Brisket) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 28 First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Apr 25 Career-best single call (Chicken)176.0228 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)
Jul 25 Career-best overall score661.1772 Siskiyou Beef Country Cook-Off
Sep 5 Peak power rating (1541) Smoke on the River
Sep 5 Most recent contest Smoke on the River

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.2	Elk Grove Western Festival & BBQ Championship	2014-05-02
+11.4	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2014-03-28
+8.5	Smoke on the River	2014-09-05
+8.2	3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship	2014-03-21
+8	Siskiyou Beef Country Cook-Off	2014-07-25

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-7.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	2014-04-25
-6.3	Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship	2014-04-26

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)

Season by season

Season	Contests	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2014	8	0	4	3	88%	top 39%	91.8%	90.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2014-09-05	Smoke on the River Sacramento, CA	7 / 26 (658.8232)	4 (170.2856)	11 (162.8460)	10 (165.6800)	12 (160.0116)
2014-07-25	Siskiyou Beef Country Cook-Off Montague, CA	5 / 18 (661.1772)	4 (166.2856)	7 (164.5944)	6 (166.2744)	9 (164.0228)
2014-07-11	Wine Country Big Q Rohnert Park, CA	16 / 44 (654.2628)	18 (166.2628)	13 (166.3088)	4 (172.0000)	28 (149.6912)
2014-05-02	Elk Grove Western Festival & BBQ Championship Elk Grove, CA	4 / 33 (652.5600)	19 (157.7028)	1 (174.2972)	2 (168.5600)	17 (152.0000)
2014-04-26	Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship Mesquite, NV	39 / 51 (637.6684)	38 (159.4056)	48 (147.9888)	27 (163.9884)	15 (166.2856)
2014-04-25	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV	24 / 30 (653.6684)	2 (176.0228)	1 (176.0228)	30 (149.0744)	29 (152.5484)
2014-03-28	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Sacramento, CA	6 / 29 (655.4056)	14 (162.2856)	19 (156.0000)	11 (162.8228)	1 (174.2972)
2014-03-21	3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	20 / 69 (651.9772)	49 (158.2744)	17 (164.5828)	37 (157.1200)	4 (172.0000)

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	#1877 (114 pts)	#2015 (104 pts)	#1854 (129 pts)	#1379 (219 pts)	#2553 (69 pts)