THE SMOKES ON U

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

Power ranking

#1861

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1544

peak 1555 · rated over 12 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2015-04-10

latest 2018-10-05

Best ToY finish

#773

Master 2016

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 12 contests

Avg finish

top 44%

overall standings

Best overall

670.1712 / 720

Master · Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval

Perfect 180s

Current form

644.33 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 650.60 (-6.26)

Walk rate

50%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

174.2972

Pork Ribs · Keystone Classic Barbeque

Consistency

±12.04

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 164.71 · weakest Brisket (160.58)

Road miles

580

mi across 12 mapped stops · furthest 81 mi

Schedule strength

53%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1568)

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

650.60 / 720

12 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.

Happy hunting ground

Top 18% average finish here

Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival is their spot: an average finish in the top 18% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 9th
average top 18%

High-water mark

670.1712 career-best overall

93.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 670.1712 at Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval — 93.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
2016-04-08

A tough matchup

8–2 behind in the head-to-head

CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ ahead in 80% of their meetings

CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 10 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.1 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.13 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 8% of the time against 42%.

Brisket avg 160.58
Pork Ribs avg 164.71
1 calls in 12 entries

A strong matchup

5–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of PARTY PIGS BBQ in 5 of their 5 shared contests.

Pork Ribs nemesis

6 of 10 shared pork ribs entries lost

Smokestack Redemption ahead 60% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Smokestack Redemption has out-cooked them in 6 of 10 shared pork ribs entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

PORK BARREL BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The metronome

±1.67% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.67% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.4% of a perfect score
12 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.

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

BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT

#1864 of the rated field

1544 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 54
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1576

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to THE SMOKES ON U)

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

rated over 53 contests
last seen 2020-07-31

⚔ Head-to-head

Sugar 'n Spice BBQ

#1848 of the rated field

1545 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1545

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2025-06-06

⚔ Head-to-head

HOLY MOHLER'S BBQ

#1859 of the rated field

1544 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 42%
Peak: 1550

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2014, 4 years before THE SMOKES ON U's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 12 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Cool Beans BBQ

#1860 of the rated field

1544 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1561

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 13 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2025-05-23

⚔ Head-to-head

CARTER-QUE-ING

#1865 of the rated field

1544 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 46%
Peak: 1556

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 13 contests, alongside a 46% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2018-05-25

⚔ Head-to-head

A PIGS WORST NIGHTMARE

#1856 of the rated field

1544 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1554

No shared contest yet.

Level with THE SMOKES ON U on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2017-04-21

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Smokestack Redemption	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
LO' -N- SLO' BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER	9	5	4	56%	⚔ compare
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
DRILLING & GRILLING	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
BAR-B-QUE MAYHAM	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN FOOLZ	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
SAUCE THIS BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
3 EYZ BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
HAWG NATION BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
ASTRO PIGS BBQ	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	12	2	0	173.1544	154.2288	163.50	top 49%
Pork Ribs	12	5	1	174.2972	153.1200	164.71	top 32%
Pork	12	1	0	171.4056	150.2284	161.82	top 45%
Brisket	12	1	0	167.4056	153.1200	160.58	top 51%

“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
PA	5	top 59%
MD	5	top 34%
DE	2	top 31%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	3	0	top 54%
Large (40+)	9	0	top 41%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship	2	28	top 67%	2018-10-05
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	13	top 62%	2017-06-09
Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival	2	9	top 18%	2016-05-06

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 3.5 yrs 2015-04-10 → 2018-10-05

Busiest season 2016 4 contests

Contests a season 3 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in PA 5 of 12 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 9 3 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 12 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls

Strongest meat Pork Ribs averages 164.71 · weakest Brisket (160.58)

Walk rate 50% a top-10 call in 6 of 12 contests

Overall top-10 rate 17% 2 of 12 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 650.60 out of 720 · 12 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 296 370–248 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 580 12 mapped stops · furthest 81 mi

Schedule strength 1568 average field rating faced — tougher than 53% of rated contests

State championships 0 from 2 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.3 yrs 2017-06-09 → 2018-10-05

Power rating 1544 peak 1555 · #1861 of 6,413 rated

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

2015
Apr 10 First tracked contest Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival
May 1 First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.8112 Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival
Aug 28 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Oct 2 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)174.2972 Keystone Classic Barbeque
2016
Apr 8 First overall top-10 Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval
Apr 8 Career-best overall score670.1712 Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval
2017
Apr 14 10th tracked contest *Interstate BBQ Festival
Apr 14 Peak power rating (1555) *Interstate BBQ Festival
2018
Oct 5 Most recent contest Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.9	Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval	2016-04-08
+12.1	Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival	2015-05-01
+11	Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival	2016-05-06
+7.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2015-08-28
+5	Keystone Classic Barbeque	2015-10-02

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6.7	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2017-06-09
-5.2	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship	2016-10-07
-3.6	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship	2018-10-05

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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	1	0	0%	top 67%	88.5%	88.5%
2017	3	0	33%	top 58%	91.8%	90.1%
2016	4	2	75%	top 35%	93.1%	91.2%
2015	4	0	50%	top 37%	92.1%	90.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2018-10-05	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA	28 / 42 (636.9720)	28 (158.8116)	14 (162.8460)	19 (161.0972)	36 (154.2172)
2017-06-09	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Harrisburg, PA	23 / 29 (637.0628)	19 (162.8456)	19 (160.0116)	14 (161.0856)	26 (153.1200)
2017-04-14	*Interstate BBQ Festival Hagerstown, MD	28 / 58 (661.0976)	27 (166.2516)	18 (168.5944)	24 (165.1316)	35 (161.1200)
2017-03-03	The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown Brunswick, MD	23 / 50 (648.4344)	41 (154.2288)	10 (166.8572)	29 (160.5256)	11 (166.8228)
2016-10-07	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA	32 / 47 (638.1028)	32 (163.3828)	42 (153.1200)	19 (166.2400)	35 (155.3600)
2016-06-10	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Harrisburg, PA	13 / 29 (656.3884)	13 (163.3828)	5 (165.0972)	4 (171.4056)	18 (156.5028)
2016-05-06	Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival Annapolis, MD	9 / 51 (662.6968)	18 (165.6916)	4 (169.6684)	23 (159.9312)	10 (167.4056)
2016-04-08	Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval Harrington, DE	7 / 75 (670.1712)	5 (173.1544)	20 (166.8456)	20 (163.9428)	21 (166.2284)
2015-10-02	Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA	21 / 57 (655.9200)	45 (157.1200)	2 (174.2972)	12 (166.8572)	33 (157.6456)
2015-08-28	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Laurel, MD	11 / 29 (645.0400)	4 (171.4400)	7 (164.0000)	25 (150.2284)	12 (159.3716)
2015-05-01	Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival Annapolis, MD	12 / 64 (662.8112)	11 (170.8800)	15 (166.2972)	31 (161.1084)	23 (164.5256)
2015-04-10	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival Harrington, DE	53 / 99 (632.4800)	66 (154.8112)	47 (158.8344)	69 (154.2400)	29 (164.5944)

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	#1331 (194 pts)	#1409 (204 pts)	#1103 (314 pts)	#1309 (234 pts)	#1254 (244 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#773 (484 pts)	#839 (454 pts)	#748 (534 pts)	#867 (449 pts)	#960 (364 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#955 (329 pts)	#899 (394 pts)	#721 (529 pts)	#1299 (239 pts)	#1188 (249 pts)