BURNING COAL BBQ

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

Power ranking

#2997

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1505

peak 1506 · rated over 9 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2017-06-09

latest 2023-06-17

Best ToY finish

#842

Master 2023

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

3 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 9 contests

Avg finish

top 55%

overall standings

Best overall

662.8116 / 720

Master · *Niagara Summer Daze BBQ Classic

Perfect 180s

Current form

636.27 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 633.24 (+3.03)

Walk rate

78%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

and counting

Best single call

172.5600

Brisket · Summer Daze BBQ Classic

Consistency

±21.19

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 163.43 · weakest Brisket (154.63)

Road miles

1,918

mi across 9 mapped stops · furthest 625 mi

Schedule strength

30%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1541)

Purse competed for

$12K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

633.24 / 720

9 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 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.

They almost always walk

78% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 7 of 9 contests

A top-10 category call in 78% of their 9 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

662.8116 career-best overall

92.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 662.8116 at *Niagara Summer Daze BBQ Classic — 92.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
2018-07-13

A tough matchup

6–0 behind in the head-to-head

SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS ahead in 100% of their meetings

SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS has come out ahead in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

The weak link

−8.8 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 8.80 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 33% of the time against 44%.

Brisket avg 154.63
Chicken avg 163.43
3 calls in 9 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BBQ Blokes in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

The comeback

3.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3.8 years, then back at Stuttering John's Smokehouse BBQ Competition (2023-06-17).

last seen 2019-08-23
back 2023-06-17

Chicken nemesis

4 of 6 shared chicken entries lost

SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS ahead 67% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS has out-cooked them in 4 of 6 shared chicken entries.

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.

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

MORT'S MEAT MAFIA

#3009 of the rated field

1505 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 32
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1539

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to BURNING COAL BBQ)

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

rated over 31 contests
last seen 2026-05-22

⚔ Head-to-head

I'd Smoke That

#2992 of the rated field

1506 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1510

No shared contest yet.

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 13 contests to 9.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2026-08-15

⚔ Head-to-head

DRIFTERS Q

#3003 of the rated field

1505 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1516

No shared contest yet.

Level with BURNING COAL BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2025-06-13

⚔ Head-to-head

BAD COMPANY BBQ

#2987 of the rated field

1506 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1511

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 9 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2023-04-07

⚔ Head-to-head

Liq N' Q

#2996 of the rated field

1505 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1511

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2026-06-26

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin' Hot Mess BBQ

#3011 of the rated field

1505 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1505

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2026-05-23
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
MEAN MOE'S BBQ	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
BEHIND BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
TRANQUIL CARNIVORES	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
WHISKEY'N'CLEAVERS	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
Cousin's Catering and BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	9	4	1	170.8800	150.8800	163.43	top 43%
Pork Ribs	9	3	1	172.0228	146.7884	157.24	top 57%
Pork	9	3	0	168.5372	142.2284	157.94	top 55%
Brisket	9	3	1	172.5600	138.2172	154.63	top 57%

“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
ON	4	top 43%
NY	2	top 50%
NJ	1	top 77%
IA	1	top 82%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 40%
Medium (20–39)	4	top 57%
Large (40+)	4	top 58%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Oinktoberfest	2	12	0	top 50%	2018-09-22

The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 6 yrs 2017-06-09 → 2023-06-17

Busiest season 2017 4 contests

Contests a season 2.3 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in ON 4 of 9 contests · 4 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 8 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 9 entries · 0 wins · 4 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 163.43 · weakest Brisket (154.63)

Walk rate 78% a top-10 call in 7 of 9 contests

Overall top-10 rate 33% 3 of 9 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests — and still running

Master average 633.24 out of 720 · 9 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 192 132–166 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,918 9 mapped stops · furthest 625 mi

Schedule strength 1541 average field rating faced — tougher than 30% of rated contests

Purse competed for $12,125 listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 3.8 yrs 2019-08-23 → 2023-06-17

Power rating 1505 peak 1506 · #2997 of 6,413 rated

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

2017
Jun 9 First tracked contest *Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festival
Jun 9 First call *Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festival
Sep 22 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.2512 Oinktoberfest
2018
Jul 13 First overall top-10 *Niagara Summer Daze BBQ Classic
Jul 13 Career-best overall score662.8116 *Niagara Summer Daze BBQ Classic
Jul 13 Peak power rating (1506) *Niagara Summer Daze BBQ Classic
2019
Aug 23 Career-best single call (Brisket)172.5600 Summer Daze BBQ Classic
2023
Jun 17 Most recent contest Stuttering John's Smokehouse BBQ Competition

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+10.8	Oinktoberfest	2017-09-22
+7.3	*Niagara Summer Daze BBQ Classic	2018-07-13
+6.1	Stuttering John's Smokehouse BBQ Competition	2023-06-17
+5.8	Summer Daze BBQ Classic	2019-08-23

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-7.2	Oinktoberfest	2018-09-22
-7.1	*BBQ 'Loo & Blues TOO!	2017-07-14
-5.6	New Jersey KnoQ-out CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES	2019-04-27
-4.2	*Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festival	2017-06-09
-0.5	Capital BBQ Festival	2017-08-05

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)
2023	1	1	100%	top 40%	89.7%	89.7%
2019	2	1	100%	top 58%	90.6%	88.7%
2018	2	1	50%	top 57%	92.1%	87.4%
2017	4	0	75%	top 57%	90.9%	87.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2023-06-17	Stuttering John's Smokehouse BBQ Competition Seagrave, ON	6 / 15 (645.5772)	3 (168.0460)	9 (155.9200)	4 (166.2628)	9 (155.3484)
2019-08-23	Summer Daze BBQ Classic Niagara Falls, ON	9 / 23 (651.9888)	22 (150.8800)	4 (170.2972)	16 (158.2516)	3 (172.5600)
2019-04-27	New Jersey KnoQ-out CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Blairstown, NJ	33 / 43 (625.6800)	9 (170.3200)	17 (162.8800)	32 (154.2628)	42 (138.2172)
2018-09-22	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	39 / 51 (595.2912)	23 (157.1544)	41 (146.7884)	36 (147.3600)	39 (143.9884)
2018-07-13	*Niagara Summer Daze BBQ Classic Niagara Falls, ON	9 / 24 (662.8116)	4 (170.8572)	18 (158.2400)	13 (165.7144)	6 (168.0000)
2017-09-22	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	12 / 53 (654.2512)	6 (170.8800)	2 (172.0228)	34 (155.4056)	25 (155.9428)
2017-08-05	Capital BBQ Festival Ottawa, ON	23 / 42 (628.4116)	16 (162.2744)	30 (147.3600)	4 (168.5372)	28 (150.2400)
2017-07-14	*BBQ 'Loo & Blues TOO! Waterloo, IA	27 / 33 (607.3028)	18 (164.5600)	27 (149.6572)	31 (142.2284)	24 (150.8572)
2017-06-09	*Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festival Drayton Ontario, N4B 2W4	15 / 22 (627.8400)	19 (155.9084)	19 (151.9772)	8 (163.4172)	12 (156.5372)

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
2023 ↗	Master	#842 (155 pts)	#757 (215 pts)	#1100 (125 pts)	#777 (190 pts)	#970 (125 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1188 (193 pts)	#1204 (208 pts)	#985 (298 pts)	#1425 (153 pts)	#1012 (283 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1228 (194 pts)	#1079 (269 pts)	#1515 (144 pts)	#1420 (169 pts)	#1217 (224 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#975 (350 pts)	#869 (450 pts)	#857 (455 pts)	#844 (470 pts)	#1122 (295 pts)