BBQ MIKE IL
Rating
1676
peak 1681 · rated over 38 contests
Best runs
9
straight top-10s · 2 straight GCs
Contests
43
in the data
First seen
2022-05-28
latest 2026-06-19
Best ToY finish
#4
Backyard 2025
Grand champs
6
3 reserve
Category wins
7
26 podiums
Overall top-10s
26
of 43 contests
Avg finish
top 29%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
340.06 ▼
last 5 Backyard vs avg 354.08 (-14.02)
Walk rate
74%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
9
best run (overall)
Consistency
±59.71
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 171.69 · weakest Pork (166.26)
Road miles
9729
mi across 43 mapped stops · furthest 441 mi
Schedule strength
64%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1559)
Purse competed for
$200K
listed at 42 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
3 🏅
GCs in 20 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
354.08 / 360
38 Backyard contests · 6 GCs
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
SMOKIN E'S BBQ has finished one call ahead of BBQ MIKE 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
Shmack Q has landed one call behind them 3 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ has come out ahead in 15 of their 18 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of SmoQued On Main St in 11 of their 14 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 3 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Came within 1.2000 points of the Grand Championship at Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) (2023-08-19).
🗡️ Giant slayer
Took the Grand Championship over a 36-team field at Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD).
📅 A October team
Something about October: average finish in the top 14% across 3 contests, versus top 29% the rest of the year.
Teams like this (closest power rating, IL first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudes BBQ | 23 | 10 | 13 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | 21 | 12 | 9 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 18 | 3 | 15 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Wapatui Smokers | 17 | 8 | 9 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| Skinny Pig BBQ | 15 | 9 | 6 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Shmack Q | 15 | 8 | 7 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| SmoQued On Main St | 14 | 11 | 3 | 79% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Racks BBQ | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| All Smoked Up BBQ | 11 | 7 | 4 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| Stone Cold Grillers | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN E'S BBQ | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| Sugar Shack | 10 | 8 | 2 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| T Daddys BBQ | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Sensuous BBQ | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 40 | 28 | 5 | 14 | 179.4400 | 161.6684 | 171.69 | top 29% |
| Pork Ribs | 41 | 23 | 2 | 12 | 180.0000 🔥 | 151.9200 | 169.49 | top 34% |
| Pork | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 167.3944 | 165.1200 | 166.26 | top 52% |
| Brisket | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 170.2856 | 170.2856 | 170.29 | top 27% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 12 | 0 | top 28% |
| WI | 8 | 1 | top 27% |
| MO | 4 | 1 | top 40% |
| IA | 3 | 0 | top 45% |
| MI | 3 | 1 | top 20% |
| IN | 2 | 1 | top 11% |
| TN | 2 | 0 | top 59% |
| PA | 1 | 1 | top 7% |
| OH | 1 | 1 | top 7% |
| NE | 1 | 0 | top 13% |
| MN | 1 | 0 | top 13% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 7 | 5 | top 9% |
| Medium (20–39) | 23 | 1 | top 28% |
| Large (40+) | 8 | 0 | top 46% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 20% | 2026-06-12 |
| Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 20% | 2025-07-19 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 3 | 7 | 0 | top 41% | 2026-06-13 |
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 3 | 8 | 0 | top 45% | 2026-04-03 |
| Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 19% | 2024-06-14 |
| Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 30% | 2026-06-19 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 58% | 2026-03-20 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2025 (13 contests)
- Cooks mostly in IL (13 of 43 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (41 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) (2025-06-13)
- Wins it all in 14% of contests
- Average Backyard overall score: 354.08 / 360
- 1 perfect 180 on the books 🔥
Milestones
- 🚩 2022-05-28 — First tracked contest · Westmont Red White & BBQ Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2022 (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 📣 2022-05-28 — First call · Westmont Red White & BBQ Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2022 (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 🏆 2025-06-13 — First Grand Championship · Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
- 🎖️ 2025-07-11 — 25th tracked contest · Goose's 1st Annual Pitmaster Showdown
- 🔥 2025-08-09 — First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) · Smokin Downtown (BACKYARD ONLY)
- ⭐ 2026-04-24 — Career-best overall score (679.3600) · Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT)
- 📈 2026-06-13 — Peak power rating (1681) · Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.8 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard) | 2022-06-17 |
| +14.5 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2025-06-13 |
| +14.1 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2023-08-19 |
| +12.8 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2024-06-07 |
| +12.7 | Stover Rock Island Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-10-10 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest | 2026-03-20 |
| -11.3 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL | 2024-05-25 |
| -7.6 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | 2026-04-03 |
| -6 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2024-06-08 |
| -4.8 | Smoke N for the Kids | 2025-08-16 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 67% | top 35% | 188.7% | 104.7% |
| 2025 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 85% | top 20% | 99.2% | 96.4% |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 38% | top 48% | 96.5% | 93.1% |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 100% | top 18% | 138.4% | 104.2% |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 100% | top 19% | 96.3% | 92.3% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 20 / 41 (340.5484) | 21 (167.9884) | 13 (172.5600) | — | — |
| 2026-06-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 7 / 37 (342.7884) | 5 (173.1200) | 10 (169.6684) | — | — |
| 2026-06-12 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 19 / 40 (340.5028) | 23 (168.5256) | 11 (171.9772) | — | — |
| 2026-05-22 | Big Knob BBQ & Cash Fest 🏅 Rochester, PA | 1 / 14 (338.2628) | 2 (171.4056) | 2 (166.8572) | — | — |
| 2026-05-15 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Warsaw, IN | — | 17 (169.1428) | — | — | — |
| 2026-05-15 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 6 / 35 (338.2172) | 3 (171.9772) | 8 (166.2400) | — | — |
| 2026-05-15 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana (ONE MEAT RIBS) Warsaw, IN | — | — | 7 (174.2972) | — | — |
| 2026-04-24 | Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Marietta, OH | 1 / 15 (679.3600) | 3 (174.2628) | 9 (169.6916) | 12 (165.1200) | 4 (170.2856) |
| 2026-04-24 | Marietta River City BBQ (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Marietta, OH | — | 3 (173.7028) | — | — | — |
| 2026-04-03 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 25 / 42 (334.7540) | 26 (167.3712) | 23 (167.3828) | — | — |
| 2026-03-27 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 10 / 26 (344.5140) | 13 (170.2512) | 8 (174.2628) | — | — |
| 2026-03-20 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 24 / 33 (334.8228) | 10 (173.1200) | 29 (161.7028) | — | — |
| 2025-10-10 | Stover Rock Island Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Stover, MO | 1 / 13 (354.2628) | 1 (177.7028) | 2 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2025-09-05 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL | 2 / 38 (349.7028) | 4 (173.7028) | 2 (176.0000) | — | — |
| 2025-08-22 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 10 / 31 (343.9428) | 10 (174.2628) | 14 (169.6800) | — | — |
| 2025-08-16 | Smoke N for the Kids 🏅 Troy, IL | 15 / 32 (327.9084) | 12 (163.9428) | 14 (163.9656) | — | — |
| 2025-08-09 | Smokin Downtown (BACKYARD ONLY) Warsaw, IN | 1 / 18 (357.1428) | 1 (177.1428) | 1 (180.0000) | — | — |
| 2025-07-19 | Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Dowagiac, MI | 1 / 17 (354.2972) | 2 (177.7372) | 3 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2025-07-11 | Goose's 1st Annual Pitmaster Showdown 🏅 Papillion, NE | 3 / 24 (350.8228) | 1 (177.7028) | 4 (173.1200) | — | — |
| 2025-06-20 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 4 / 36 (353.1200) | 5 (176.5600) | 2 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2025-06-14 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 17 / 36 (332.5028) | 19 (166.2400) | 19 (166.2628) | — | — |
| 2025-06-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 1 / 36 (354.2972) | 1 (179.4400) | 3 (174.8572) | — | — |
| 2025-05-16 | High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Winchester, TN | 9 / 32 (346.8344) | 9 (174.2744) | 11 (172.5600) | — | — |
| 2025-04-04 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 8 / 49 (345.0972) | 2 (177.7028) | 20 (167.3944) | — | — |
| 2025-03-21 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 14 / 33 (341.0856) | 8 (173.7028) | 18 (167.3828) | — | — |
| 2024-09-14 | Trekking for CDH 🏅 Pierron, IL | 18 / 35 (329.0168) | 12 (166.2284) | 19 (162.7884) | — | — |
| 2024-07-20 | Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Dowagiac, MI | 8 / 23 (341.6340) | 8 (173.1084) | 9 (168.5256) | — | — |
| 2024-06-14 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 15 / 40 (333.6572) | 1 (178.8572) | 35 (154.8000) | — | — |
| 2024-06-08 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 21 / 37 (325.0512) | 18 (162.2512) | 18 (162.8000) | — | — |
| 2024-06-07 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 4 / 41 (347.3944) | 3 (176.5600) | 7 (170.8344) | — | — |
| 2024-05-25 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL Lebanon, TN | 42 / 47 (335.3484) | 38 (166.8228) | 33 (168.5256) | — | — |
| 2024-05-17 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Warsaw, IN | — | — | 12 (171.9772) | — | — |
| 2024-03-29 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 25 / 42 (333.0856) | 25 (167.9656) | 27 (165.1200) | — | — |
| 2023-10-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 5 / 21 (341.0968) | 19 (165.6912) | 2 (175.4056) | — | — |
| 2023-09-15 | Saluting with Smoke Single Meat - Rib Burn (ONE MEAT RIBS) Yorkville, IL | — | — | 2 (175.4172) | — | — |
| 2023-08-19 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 2 / 16 (346.2400) | 4 (173.1200) | 4 (173.1200) | — | — |
| 2023-07-15 | Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Dowagiac, MI | 3 / 16 (347.4172) | 3 (172.5600) | 3 (174.8572) | — | — |
| 2023-06-17 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 4 / 33 (342.8344) | 8 (169.1316) | 4 (173.7028) | — | — |
| 2023-05-27 | Westmont Red White & BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Westmont, IL | 8 / 34 (498.1716) | 2 (178.8572) | 26 (151.9200) | 8 (167.3944) | — |
| 2022-10-14 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 4 / 36 (332.4684) | 6 (162.7884) | 2 (169.6800) | — | — |
| 2022-07-15 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL | 7 / 25 (323.9312) | 6 (161.6684) | 7 (162.2628) | — | — |
| 2022-06-17 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard) Morris, IL | 2 / 23 (346.8344) | 5 (171.4172) | 1 (175.4172) | — | — |
| 2022-05-28 | Westmont Red White & BBQ Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2022 (BACKYARD ONLY) Westmont, IL | 8 / 28 (326.2284) | 6 (169.7028) | 19 (156.5256) | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #38 (877 pts) | #19 (1051 pts) | #52 (793 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | — | #515 (301 pts) | #735 (164 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #4 (1343 pts) | #6 (1333 pts) | #13 (1261 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #101 (611 pts) | #56 (856 pts) | #105 (578 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1009 (122 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #61 (904 pts) | #62 (929 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | — | — | #768 (249 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #72 (650 pts) | #68 (740 pts) | — | — |