They almost always walk
60%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 9 of 15 contests
A top-10 category call in 60% of their 15 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
LIL' SUMPIN BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1547
peak 1547 · rated over 15 contests ⓘ
Contests
15
in the data
First seen
2016-10-14
latest 2019-08-23
Best ToY finish
#653
Master 2018
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
1 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
of 15 contests
Avg finish
top 48%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
664.92 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 661.03 (+3.89)
Walk rate
60%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±12.72
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 166.26 · weakest Brisket (163.93)
Road miles
482
mi across 15 mapped stops · furthest 101 mi
Schedule strength
59%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1575)
Purse competed for
$8K
listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 3 state-championship entries
Master avg
661.03 / 720
15 Master contests · 0 GCs
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.
High-water mark
680.4568
career-best overall
94.5% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 680.4568 at *East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival — 94.5% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2017-08-25
A tough matchup
12–0
behind in the head-to-head
SLAPS BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
SLAPS BBQ has come out ahead in 12 of their 12 shared contests.
A strong matchup
7–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of BUBBA AND THE BOYS BARBEQUE in 7 of their 7 shared contests.
Pork Ribs nemesis
10 of 12
shared pork ribs entries lost
SLAPS BBQ ahead 83% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, SLAPS BBQ has out-cooked them in 10 of 12 shared pork ribs entries.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
SMOKIN' R'S 2.0 has landed one call behind them 2 times.
An August team
Top 38%
average finish in August
Something about August: average finish in the top 38% across 3 contests, versus top 48% the rest of the year.
- 3 August contests
- top 48% the rest of the year
The metronome
±1.77%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±1.77% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 91.8% of a perfect score
- 15 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.
64 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1786 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 44%
- Peak
- 1579
No shared contest yet.
They've been 1579 at their best, 32 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#1783 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 19%
- Peak
- 1548
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 16 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#1790 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 35%
- Peak
- 1566
No shared contest yet.
17 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 35% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#1778 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 28%
- Peak
- 1551
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 4 years before LIL' SUMPIN BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#1781 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1566
No shared contest yet.
They turned up 8 years after LIL' SUMPIN BBQ did, first appearing in 2024.
⚔ Head-to-head#1792 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1550
No shared contest yet.
Level with LIL' SUMPIN BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLAPS BBQ | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| 3 PIGS SMOKIN | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' SAUCED | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| A BBQ TEAM - MO | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| AMERICAN FIRE BBQ | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE RINGERS | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BUBBA AND THE BOYS BARBEQUE | 7 | 7 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| HIGH i QUE | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| DIRT ROAD BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| 2 DRUNK 2 QUE | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' R'S 2.0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| LOVE 2 Q | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| RUB THAT MEAT BBQ | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 174.2628 | 152.5372 | 165.39 | top 51% |
| Pork Ribs | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 173.7028 | 154.2744 | 166.26 | top 47% |
| Pork | 15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 175.4400 | 156.5028 | 165.46 | top 48% |
| Brisket | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 176.0000 | 152.4684 | 163.93 | top 48% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS | 11 | 0 | top 44% |
| MO | 4 | 0 | top 59% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 6 | 0 | top 48% |
| Large (40+) | 9 | 0 | top 48% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival | 3 | 11 | 0 | top 38% | 2019-08-23 |
| Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 27% | 2019-06-14 |
| *Smoke On the Trails | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 41% | 2018-09-28 |
| *Racing for the BBQ | 2 | 18 | 0 | top 45% | 2018-07-27 |
| *Brew, Blues, & Bar-B-Q | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 49% | 2018-05-04 |
The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
2.9 yrs
2016-10-14 → 2019-08-23
Busiest season
2018
6 contests
Contests a season
3.8
across 4 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
KS
11 of 15 contests · 2 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
9
5 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
15 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
averages 166.26 · weakest Brisket (163.93)
Walk rate
60%
a top-10 call in 9 of 15 contests
Overall top-10 rate
7%
1 of 15 contests
Master average
661.03
out of 720 · 15 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
402
393–344 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
482
15 mapped stops · furthest 101 mi
Schedule strength
1575
average field rating faced — tougher than 59% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$8,300
listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 3 state-championship entries
Power rating
1547
peak 1547 · #1785 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2016
- First tracked contest Balloons Blues and Barbeque
- 2017
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score650.1712 The Best Damn BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake
- First call *Brew, Blues, & Bar-B-Q
- Career-best overall score680.4568 *East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival
- Career-best single call (Brisket)176.0000 *Smoke On the Trails
- 2018
- First overall top-10 *Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life
- 10th tracked contest *Racing for the BBQ
- 2019
- First category win (Pork) Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life
- Peak power rating (1547) East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival
- Most recent contest East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +12.1 | *East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival | 2017-08-25 |
| +10.9 | *Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life | 2018-06-15 |
| +9 | Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life | 2019-06-14 |
| +8 | *Racing for the BBQ | 2018-07-27 |
| +7.6 | *Smoke On the Trails | 2017-09-29 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -7.4 | The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake | 2018-04-13 |
| -4.2 | Balloons Blues and Barbeque | 2016-10-14 |
| -1.7 | The Best Damn BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake | 2017-04-07 |
| -0.6 | *Racing for the BBQ | 2017-07-28 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 67% | top 42% | 93.6% | 92.9% |
| 2018 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 48% | 93.3% | 91.7% |
| 2017 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80% | top 45% | 94.5% | 92.1% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 82% | 87.8% | 87.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-08-23 | East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival 🏅 Paola, KS | 29 / 66 (667.9084) | 27 (168.0000) | 26 (168.5256) | 11 (171.4400) | 38 (159.9428) |
| 2019-06-14 | Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 11 / 38 (674.1828) | 10 (171.9772) | 24 (163.9656) | 1 (175.4400) | 22 (162.8000) |
| 2019-05-03 | Brew, Blue & Bar-B-Q 🏅 Lansing, KS | 20 / 37 (664.4684) | 11 (170.2744) | 21 (165.6684) | 6 (170.2628) | 27 (158.2628) |
| 2018-09-28 | *Smoke On the Trails Gardner, KS | 33 / 68 (665.5656) | 18 (171.9772) | 33 (167.4056) | 55 (156.5028) | 18 (169.6800) |
| 2018-08-24 | *East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival Paola, KS | 35 / 67 (652.4800) | 30 (162.8228) | 40 (162.8572) | 19 (169.6800) | 40 (157.1200) |
| 2018-07-27 | *Racing for the BBQ Lee's Summit, MO | 18 / 66 (668.5372) | 37 (162.2744) | 32 (162.8228) | 6 (174.2972) | 12 (169.1428) |
| 2018-06-15 | *Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life Kansas City, KS | 8 / 32 (671.9772) | 21 (162.8572) | 5 (172.5828) | 11 (165.6800) | 7 (170.8572) |
| 2018-05-04 | *Brew, Blues, & Bar-B-Q Lansing, KS | 16 / 29 (664.4456) | 18 (165.1316) | 6 (171.9656) | 21 (160.5028) | 14 (166.8456) |
| 2018-04-13 | The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake Smithville, MO | 41 / 51 (638.0572) | 34 (162.2516) | 29 (165.6916) | 43 (157.6456) | 44 (152.4684) |
| 2017-09-29 | *Smoke On the Trails Gardner, KS | 22 / 64 (668.4340) | 30 (165.0856) | 27 (166.8228) | 45 (160.5256) | 8 (176.0000) |
| 2017-08-25 | *East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival Paola, KS | 11 / 57 (680.4568) | 9 (174.2628) | 20 (166.2628) | 24 (169.1084) | 14 (170.8228) |
| 2017-07-28 | *Racing for the BBQ Lee's Summit, MO | 34 / 54 (657.0056) | 44 (161.0972) | 10 (173.7028) | 44 (157.1084) | 30 (165.0972) |
| 2017-05-05 | *Brew, Blues, & Bar-B-Q Lansing, KS | 13 / 30 (659.3256) | 15 (167.4172) | 10 (170.8228) | 18 (163.4400) | 19 (157.6456) |
| 2017-04-07 | The Best Damn BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake Smithville, MO | 36 / 54 (650.1712) | 33 (162.8456) | 48 (154.2744) | 24 (169.1200) | 23 (163.9312) |
| 2016-10-14 | Balloons Blues and Barbeque Parsons, KS | 32 / 39 (632.4916) | 37 (152.5372) | 29 (160.5372) | 27 (161.1200) | 28 (158.2972) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #969 (275 pts) | #909 (325 pts) | #1215 (205 pts) | #580 (590 pts) | #1227 (195 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #653 (526 pts) | #775 (441 pts) | #622 (591 pts) | #637 (586 pts) | #598 (611 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #839 (440 pts) | #908 (430 pts) | #839 (470 pts) | #1051 (340 pts) | #799 (485 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #2274 (60 pts) | #2353 (60 pts) | #2349 (60 pts) | #2326 (60 pts) | #2345 (60 pts) |