OLD SMOKE WAGON

OLD SMOKE WAGON is a competition barbecue team with 13 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 11th of 45 at the RiverFest Red White and Que (2016). They are ranked #3501 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,501

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1493

peak 1508 · rated over 13 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 1, 2015

latest Aug 10, 2018 · 3.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#924

Master 2016 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podium

Overall top-10s

0% of 13 contests

Avg finish

top 65%

overall standings

Best overall

669.6800 / 720

Master · RiverFest Red White and Que

Perfect 180s

Current form

646.88 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 644.89 (+1.98)

Walk rate

46%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176

Pork · 23rd Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska

Consistency

±17.78

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 167.55 · weakest Pork Ribs (154.30)

Road miles

946

across 13 mapped stops · furthest 160 mi

Schedule strength

75%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1596)

Master avg

644.89 / 720

13 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (7 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

669.6800 career-best overall

93.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 669.6800 at RiverFest Red White and Que — 93.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 15, 2016

A tough matchup

10–0 behind in the head-to-head

PORKY BUTTS BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

PORKY BUTTS BBQ has come out ahead in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The weak link

−13.3 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 13.26 points below their pork, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 46%.

Pork Ribs avg 154.30
Pork avg 167.55
0 calls in 13 entries

A strong matchup

5–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ in 5 of their 5 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

9 of 10 shared pork entries lost

HELPING U BBQ ahead 90% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, HELPING U BBQ has out-cooked them in 9 of 10 shared pork entries.

A May team

Top 56% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 56% across 4 contests, versus top 65% the rest of the year.

4 May contests
top 65% the rest of the year

The metronome

±2.47% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.47% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.6% of a perfect score
13 contests

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
2018 ↗	Master	#1189 (205 pts)	#1377 (175 pts)	#1239 (220 pts)	#918 (350 pts)	#1225 (220 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1240 (225 pts)	#1323 (230 pts)	#1506 (180 pts)	#1006 (360 pts)	#1261 (240 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#924 (366 pts)	#1150 (291 pts)	#1099 (311 pts)	#952 (396 pts)	#853 (436 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1362 (184 pts)	#1188 (259 pts)	#1497 (179 pts)	#856 (429 pts)	#1422 (184 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to OLD SMOKE WAGON, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Fubar-B-Q

#3,518 of the rated field

1493 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1524

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to OLD SMOKE WAGON)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team OLD SMOKE WAGON has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 17 contests
last seen May 31, 2024

⚔ Head-to-head

Tuff Smoke

#3,482 of the rated field

1494 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1510

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

rated over 13 contests
last seen Oct 13, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

Camo Cookers

#3,515 of the rated field

1493 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1493

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 Jun 10, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

Rub Runners

#3,481 of the rated field

1494 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1507

13 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 13 contests
last seen May 6, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

THE FABULOUS FAULTLINERS

#3,519 of the rated field

1493 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1501

Level with OLD SMOKE WAGON on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Aug 16, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

Broomstick BBQ

#3,512 of the rated field

1493 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1518

They turned up 7 years after OLD SMOKE WAGON did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Jul 25, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
WHEN PIGS DIE	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
HELPING U BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
PORKY BUTTS BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
Theslabs.com	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
HOT GRILL ON GRILL ACTION	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
DIRT ROAD BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
TATTOO BOB'S BAR-B-Q	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
WOODWARD BARBEQUE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
R BUTTS R SMOKIN	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
ALWAYS SMOK'D	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare
OMAHA CHAIN SMOKERS	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
OMAHA'S BLOWIN' SMOKE	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	13	0	0	171.9772	144.5600	160.77	top 65%
Pork Ribs	13	0	0	167.9772	137.1088	154.30	top 81%
Pork	13	6	1	176	157.6572	167.55	top 40%
Brisket	13	2	0	173.7144	144.5488	162.27	top 55%

“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)	6	0	top 62%
Large (40+)	7	0	top 67%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
NE	8	top 66%
MO	4	top 56%
KS	1	top 89%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q	3	13	0	top 47%	May 4, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 4 contests

Contests a season 3.3 across 4 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NE 8 of 13 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 11 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 717 finished ahead 250 times, behind 801

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

20181 milestone

Aug 10 Most recent contest 26th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska

20171 milestone

Aug 5 10th tracked contest Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -2

20162 milestones

Jul 15 Career-best overall score669.6800 RiverFest Red White and Que
Jul 15 Peak power rating (1508) RiverFest Red White and Que

20154 milestones

May 1 First tracked contest Apple Blossom BBQ Contest
Jun 26 First call 3rd Annual Ribstock MBA BBQ Festival
Aug 14 First overall past 90% of a perfect score653.6456 23rd Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska
Aug 14 Career-best single call (Pork)176 23rd Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+10.9	RiverFest Red White and Que	Jul 15, 2016
+6.4	Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q	May 5, 2017
+6.4	Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q	May 6, 2016
+2	23rd Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska	Aug 14, 2015
+0.7	Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q	May 4, 2018

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.7	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	Oct 29, 2016
-6.6	Apple Blossom BBQ Contest	May 1, 2015
-4.5	3rd Annual Ribstock MBA BBQ Festival	Jun 26, 2015
-4.3	Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -1	Aug 4, 2017
-3.6	Q for a Cause	Apr 20, 2018

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	3	33%	top 69%	91.3%	89.7%
2017	3	33%	top 64%	92.2%	90.5%
2016	4	50%	top 56%	93%	89.7%
2015	3	67%	top 71%	90.8%	88.3%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 10, 2018	26th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska Arlington, NE	22 / 30 (633.7032)	28 (144.5600)	25 (159.9772)	18 (164.5716)	16 (164.5944)
May 4, 2018	Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q St. Joseph, MO	22 / 37 (657.0172)	25 (162.2628)	16 (167.9772)	22 (166.2628)	28 (160.5144)
Apr 20, 2018	Q for a Cause Papillion, NE	31 / 41 (647.3256)	25 (166.2856)	38 (153.0744)	5 (172.5828)	33 (155.3828)
Aug 5, 2017	Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -2 Omaha, NE	35 / 50 (663.9200)	20 (171.9772)	48 (154.2400)	14 (171.4400)	28 (166.2628)
Aug 4, 2017	Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -1 Omaha, NE	44 / 54 (632.4112)	46 (157.7028)	53 (147.9200)	41 (160.5256)	22 (166.2628)
May 5, 2017	Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q St. Joseph, MO	16 / 39 (657.6576)	20 (163.4288)	30 (154.2516)	5 (174.8572)	16 (165.1200)
Oct 29, 2016	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	494 / 557 (614.1600)	500 (150.7656)	546 (137.1088)	316 (162.8456)	258 (163.4400)
Aug 5, 2016	24th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska Omaha, NE	48 / 70 (631.8744)	57 (158.2400)	66 (146.2172)	28 (165.1428)	35 (162.2744)
Jul 15, 2016	RiverFest Red White and Que Bellevue, NE	11 / 45 (669.6800)	14 (166.2856)	20 (163.9772)	9 (170.2744)	10 (169.1428)
May 6, 2016	Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q St. Joseph, MO	13 / 31 (668.0232)	25 (159.3944)	15 (166.2972)	10 (168.6172)	5 (173.7144)
Aug 14, 2015	23rd Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska Omaha, NE	24 / 42 (653.6456)	28 (159.9428)	38 (155.4172)	3 (176)	24 (162.2856)
Jun 26, 2015	3rd Annual Ribstock MBA BBQ Festival Omaha, NE	26 / 34 (617.7148)	11 (164.0572)	33 (141.6916)	10 (167.4172)	32 (144.5488)
May 1, 2015	Apple Blossom BBQ Contest St. Joseph, MO	29 / 36 (636.4572)	23 (165.1428)	31 (157.7256)	29 (157.6572)	29 (155.9316)

OLD SMOKE WAGON

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

Master avg

Storylines (7 found in their record)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Pork nemesis

A May team

The metronome

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 — 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)