SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM

SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM is a competition barbecue team with 29 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2022. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 13 at the 40th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off (2022). They are ranked #1198 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,198

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1587

peak 1587 · rated over 28 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 27, 2016

latest Sep 29, 2022 · 6.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#153

Master 2022 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

7 podiums

Overall top-10s

14% of 29 contests

Avg finish

top 47%

overall standings

Best overall

701.0856 / 720

Master · Delta Smoke BBQ Contest

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

681.16 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 672.33 (+8.84)

Walk rate

79%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Pork · 39th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off

Consistency

±14.13

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 169.74 · weakest Pork Ribs (165.94)

Road miles

4,704

across 29 mapped stops · furthest 337 mi

Schedule strength

75%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1597)

Purse competed for

$251K

listed at 19 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 20 state-championship entries

Master avg

672.33 / 720

29 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (11 found in their record)

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

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.

Pork ×1

On the rise

+43 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 43 points across 14 contests since Oct 22, 2021 — from 1544 up to 1587.

14 contests since Oct 22, 2021
now 1587

They almost always walk

79% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 23 of 29 contests

A top-10 category call in 79% of their 29 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

701.0856 career-best overall

97.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 701.0856 at Delta Smoke BBQ Contest — 97.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 10, 2022

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Smokin Through The Night has finished one call ahead of SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

15–2 behind in the head-to-head

RAZORRACKS ahead in 88% of their meetings

RAZORRACKS has come out ahead in 15 of their 17 shared contests.

A strong matchup

8–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 89% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of K & K KOOKERS in 8 of their 9 shared contests.

Show 4 more storylines

Pork nemesis

12 of 16 shared pork entries lost

RAZORRACKS ahead 75% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, RAZORRACKS has out-cooked them in 12 of 16 shared pork entries.

An August team

Top 36% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 36% across 5 contests, versus top 47% the rest of the year.

5 August contests
top 47% the rest of the year

The long haul

4,704 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,704 miles across 29 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 337 miles to RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1).

29 mapped stops
furthest 337 mi

The metronome

±1.96% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.96% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.4% of a perfect score
29 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
2022 ↗	Master	#153 (1,233 pts)	#80 (1,558 pts)	#128 (1,373 pts)	#166 (1,188 pts)	#123 (1,368 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#384 (501 pts)	#483 (396 pts)	#431 (486 pts)	#267 (761 pts)	#358 (571 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#769 (95 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#845 (85 pts)	#773 (110 pts)	#554 (185 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1690 (105 pts)	#1558 (125 pts)	#2026 (60 pts)	#1786 (100 pts)	#1536 (120 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1011 (275 pts)	#1036 (290 pts)	#1298 (195 pts)	#1011 (300 pts)	#1035 (285 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1155 (259 pts)	#1446 (194 pts)	#1355 (224 pts)	#608 (664 pts)	#1164 (274 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1176 (253 pts)	#1076 (323 pts)	#1724 (148 pts)	#1068 (333 pts)	#1400 (213 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM, each with one reason worth a look.

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

DROP THE MIKE

#1,188 of the rated field

1588 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1601

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Jun 10, 2022

⚔ Head-to-head

JMB BBQ

#1,204 of the rated field

1587 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1634

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM)

They've been 1634 at their best, 47 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 41 contests
last seen Mar 20, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

HEFTY LEFTY BBQ

#1,191 of the rated field

1588 power rating

Contests: 57
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1603

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM)

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 57 contests to 29.

rated over 52 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

T-Squared BBQ

#1,206 of the rated field

1587 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1588

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM)

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

rated over 14 contests
last seen Oct 30, 2024

⚔ Head-to-head

LETZQ

#1,194 of the rated field

1588 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 49%
Peak: 1592

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 4 years before SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 32 contests

⚔ Compare careers

SKYY FULL OF SMOKE

#1,203 of the rated field

1587 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1587

Level with SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 24 contests
last seen Sep 24, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
RAZORRACKS	17	2	15	12%	⚔ compare
MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
JANKY LEG BBQ	14	2	12	14%	⚔ compare
Kermit's Ex	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
SmokinGhost BBQ	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
Heavy Smoke BBQ	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
Piggin' Whiskey	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
FIRE DANCER BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
TRIPLE H BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
Kith n' Kin	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
K & K KOOKERS	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare
QUE-N-BREW	9	5	4	56%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	29	6	2	3	179.4400	158.2400	168.65	top 46%
Pork Ribs	29	8	0	0	174.2744	153.6572	165.94	top 53%
Pork	28	12	2	3	180 🔥	159.3716	169.74	top 38%
Brisket	29	11	0	1	177.7028	155.9428	167.93	top 44%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 23%
Medium (20–39)	16	top 51%
Large (40+)	12	top 42%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MO	11	top 40%
TN	6	top 56%
AR	4	top 47%
KS	3	top 47%
IL	3	top 54%
MS	2	top 41%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest	3	11	top 34%	Aug 17, 2018
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST	2	223	top 47%	Sep 29, 2022
Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest	2	11	top 38%	Aug 20, 2021
RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2)	2	14	top 50%	May 26, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2022 14 contests

Contests a season 4.1 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MO 11 of 29 contests · 6 states in all

Contests visited 24 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 1,065 finished ahead 1,076 times, behind 1,073

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

20225 milestones

May 6 First overall podium 40th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off
Jun 10 25th tracked contest Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
Jun 10 Career-best overall score701.0856 Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
Sep 29 Peak power rating (1587) American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST
Sep 29 Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST

20212 milestones

May 1 First overall top-10 39th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off
May 1 First perfect 180 (Pork) 39th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off

20201 milestone

Jun 19 10th tracked contest Desoto Shrine Club 12th Annual BBQ Cook-Off

20171 milestone

May 5 First category win (Pork) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

20163 milestones

May 27 First tracked contest 35th Annual Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cook off
May 27 First call 35th Annual Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cook off
May 27 First overall past 90% of a perfect score665.6116 35th Annual Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cook off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.6	39th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off	May 1, 2021
+12.9	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest	Jun 10, 2022
+12.2	RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2)	May 26, 2018
+11.9	Smoke on The Shores	Mar 18, 2022
+10.9	40th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off	May 6, 2022

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.7	Esperanza Bonanza	Oct 22, 2021
-7.3	2nd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 1	May 13, 2022
-6	2nd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 2	May 14, 2022
-5.5	American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST	Sep 16, 2021
-4.4	RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1)	May 25, 2018

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2022	14	3	2	86%	top 47%	97.4%	94.4%
2021	5	1	1	60%	top 49%	96%	93.7%
2020	1	0	0	100%	top 38%	95.5%	95.5%
2019	1	0	0	0%	top 36%	92.9%	92.9%
2018	3	0	0	67%	top 47%	93.4%	91.2%
2017	3	0	1	100%	top 58%	91.4%	90.8%
2016	2	0	0	100%	top 30%	92.4%	92%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 29, 2022	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	223 / 505 (671.8396)	50 (176.5600)	423 (158.7884)	263 (166.8228)	155 (169.6684)
Sep 29, 2022	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST unrated Kansas City, KS	117 / 249 (682.2284)	97 (172.5828)	180 (167.3828)	71 (173.1428)	131 (169.1200)
Sep 23, 2022	Downtown Jonesboro BarBQ Festival 🏅 Jonesboro, AR	12 / 33 (679.3828)	1 (178.8572)	20 (165.1084)	12 (171.4400)	13 (163.9772)
Jul 22, 2022	EffingHAM-JAM 🏅 Effingham, IL	15 / 25 (671.2796)	24 (158.7884)	10 (171.4056)	4 (171.9656)	12 (169.1200)
Jun 10, 2022	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR	6 / 33 (701.0856)	5 (177.1428)	9 (174.2744)	9 (174.2628)	6 (175.4056)
Jun 3, 2022	Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Festival 🏅 Covington, TN	15 / 28 (672.4456)	18 (162.2516)	12 (170.2628)	15 (167.9656)	9 (171.9656)
May 14, 2022	2nd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 2 🏅 Union City, TN	19 / 23 (678.2168)	6 (175.4400)	16 (170.2628)	21 (160.5484)	10 (171.9656)
May 13, 2022	2nd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 1 🏅 Union City, TN	21 / 25 (664.4340)	19 (166.2400)	6 (170.8228)	22 (161.1428)	18 (166.2284)
May 6, 2022	40th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Kennett, MO	3 / 13 (698.8456)	1 (179.4400)	6 (171.4172)	4 (176.5828)	8 (171.4056)
Apr 22, 2022	Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS	16 / 36 (678.7312)	13 (172.5716)	25 (164.5256)	15 (168.5256)	10 (173.1084)
Apr 1, 2022	Smokin' For Down Syndrome 🏅 Collierville, TN	9 / 28 (688.5028)	5 (176.5716)	9 (171.4172)	14 (167.9656)	9 (172.5484)
Mar 26, 2022	Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 2 🏅 St. Robert, MO	20 / 39 (673.0168)	15 (172.5484)	9 (171.4172)	31 (162.7884)	28 (166.2628)
Mar 25, 2022	Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 1 🏅 St. Robert, MO	22 / 38 (663.8856)	19 (167.4400)	4 (170.8344)	31 (160.5256)	25 (165.0856)
Mar 18, 2022	Smoke on The Shores 🏅 Lebanon, TN	14 / 63 (687.8740)	27 (170.8228)	36 (167.3828)	21 (171.9656)	4 (177.7028)
Oct 22, 2021	Esperanza Bonanza 🏅 Marion, AR	20 / 27 (671.8628)	19 (162.8116)	18 (168.5484)	12 (173.1200)	18 (167.3828)
Sep 16, 2021	American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	232 / 467 (662.7884)	280 (163.4060)	181 (168.5140)	134 (168.6172)	264 (162.2512)
Sep 3, 2021	Smithfield Classic in Nashville 🏅 Nashville, TN	32 / 50 (679.3028)	28 (169.6800)	37 (168.5372)	10 (175.4056)	41 (165.6800)
Aug 20, 2021	Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest 🏅 Cape Girardeau, MO	11 / 27 (668.4568)	16 (162.2628)	6 (171.4172)	6 (170.2628)	14 (164.5140)
May 1, 2021	39th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Kennett, MO	5 / 32 (691.3256)	17 (167.3944)	14 (168.5256)	1 (180)	2 (175.4056)
Jun 19, 2020	Desoto Shrine Club 12th Annual BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Hernando, MS	18 / 47 (687.3024)	33 (166.8112)	20 (171.9656)	—	5 (176.5600)
Aug 16, 2019	Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest 🏅 Cape Girardeau, MO	16 / 45 (669.0856)	12 (170.8800)	28 (159.3828)	17 (168)	13 (170.8228)
Aug 17, 2018	Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest Cape Girardeau, MO	17 / 44 (659.2568)	14 (169.6684)	31 (153.6572)	24 (162.2284)	7 (173.7028)
May 26, 2018	RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2) Westmont, IL	14 / 60 (672.5600)	14 (171.4172)	22 (167.9772)	6 (174.2972)	38 (158.8684)
May 25, 2018	RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1) Westmont, IL	38 / 49 (638.1028)	37 (161.1084)	42 (154.2400)	35 (159.3716)	26 (163.3828)
Oct 6, 2017	BBQ & Blues on the Levee Helena, AR	18 / 30 (651.8288)	20 (163.9428)	24 (154.2288)	8 (170.2628)	14 (163.3944)
Aug 18, 2017	Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest Cape Girardeau, MO	18 / 43 (658.1144)	30 (158.8000)	15 (166.2516)	3 (174.2628)	22 (158.8000)
May 5, 2017	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour St. Charles, MO	21 / 29 (650.7316)	27 (158.2400)	27 (154.2632)	1 (176)	18 (162.2284)
Aug 19, 2016	Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest Cape Girardeau, MO	11 / 51 (659.3372)	18 (163.9544)	33 (157.7028)	8 (170.2628)	10 (167.4172)
May 27, 2016	35th Annual Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cook off Kennett, MO	11 / 28 (665.6116)	3 (173.1200)	18 (161.6916)	5 (174.8572)	20 (155.9428)

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

SHOT IN THE DARK COMPETITION BBQ TEAM

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 (11 found in their record)

Perfect scores on the board

On the rise

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Pork nemesis

An August team

The long haul

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, 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)