The heartbreaker
4.0916
points from the title
Came within 4.0916 points of the Grand Championship at Jack Daniel's presents Burgerfest (Sep 7, 2019).
SALE & PEPE
SALE & PEPE is a competition barbecue team with 11 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 13 at the Jack Daniel's presents Burgerfest (2019), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #3353 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1497
peak 1522 · rated over 10 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
11
in the data
First seen
May 21, 2016
latest Sep 7, 2019 · 3.3 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
2 reserve
Category wins
2
6 podiums
Overall top-10s
3
27% of 11 contests
Avg finish
top 61%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
646.37 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 653.40 (-7.02)
Walk rate
82%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±20.05
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 166.31 · weakest Brisket (160.58)
Road miles
3,516
across 11 mapped stops · furthest 715 mi
Schedule strength
30%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1540)
Master avg
653.40 / 720
11 Master contests · 0 GCs
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #753 (398 pts) | #870 (353 pts) | #832 (383 pts) | #709 (468 pts) | #749 (438 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1917 (69 pts) | #1829 (99 pts) | #1834 (99 pts) | #1886 (89 pts) | #2540 (54 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1625 (142 pts) | #1974 (112 pts) | #1437 (197 pts) | #1639 (152 pts) | #980 (362 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to SALE & PEPE, each with one reason worth a look.
116 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3,342 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1502
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to SALE & PEPE)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SALE & PEPE has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#3,349 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1502
Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#3,357 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1525
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 11 contests, alongside a 18% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#3,336 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1507
Level with SALE & PEPE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#3,367 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1496
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#3,340 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1505
Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 3 years before SALE & PEPE's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Squirrel BBQ | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| DRAGON BBQ | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| GRILLKUNST | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BARKTENDERS | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ LONGHORN RANCH HANDS | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| BUNCH OF SWINES | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SCHLUCHTENGRILLER BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| COOKLOUNGE BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| STICKY FINGERS BARBECUE TEAM | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| BROS HOG | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| GECKO BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 172.5828 | 144.4800 | 163.88 | top 63% |
| Pork Ribs | 11 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 174.2972 | 147.9772 | 162.63 | top 53% |
| Pork | 11 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 176.5600 | 155.3368 | 166.31 | top 47% |
| Brisket | 11 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 173.1316 | 134.2172 | 160.58 | top 54% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 15% |
| Medium (20–39) | 8 | 0 | top 74% |
| Large (40+) | 1 | 0 | top 52% |
By state / province (where the contests were held)
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE | 1 | 0 | top 52% |
| IT | 1 | 0 | top 15% |
| CZ | 1 | 0 | top 73% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brew N Q (OPEN) | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 91% | May 27, 2017 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2017
4 contests
Contests a season
2.8
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
DE
1 of 11 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
10
1 of them more than once
Opponents faced
147
finished ahead 108 times, behind 180
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20192 milestones
- 10th tracked contest Country Road & BBQ Contest -Day2
- Most recent contest Jack Daniel's presents Burgerfest
20173 milestones
- First overall podium Meat Smoke and Beer Festival 2017
- First Reserve Championship Meat Smoke and Beer Festival 2017
- Peak power rating (1522) Meat Smoke and Beer Festival 2017
20167 milestones
- First tracked contest Bohemian BBQ
- First call Bohemian BBQ
- First category win (Pork) Brixia 4 Star Championship
- First overall top-10 Brixia 4 Star Championship
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score685.6800 Brixia 4 Star Championship
- Career-best overall score685.6800 Brixia 4 Star Championship
- Career-best single call (Pork)176.5600 Brixia 4 Star Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.3 | Jack Daniel's presents Burgerfest | Sep 7, 2019 |
| +14.5 | Meat Smoke and Beer Festival 2017 | Apr 8, 2017 |
| +13.3 | Brixia 4 Star Championship | Sep 10, 2016 |
| +0.3 | 3rd Ruhrpott BBQ 2016 | Sep 24, 2016 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.7 | Brew N Q (OPEN) | May 27, 2017 |
| -10.6 | 4th Barbecue Bulls Championship Salzburg 2018 | Apr 28, 2018 |
| -9.3 | Country Road & BBQ Contest -Day1 | Mar 22, 2019 |
| -5.6 | Bardo-Q BBQ Competition | Apr 22, 2017 |
| -5.6 | Bohemian BBQ | May 21, 2016 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 60% | 94% | 91.6% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 88% | 86.9% | 86.9% |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 66% | 94.1% | 91% |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 67% | top 47% | 95.2% | 90.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 2019 | Jack Daniel's presents Burgerfest Prague | 2 / 13 (676.4912) | 4 (166.8572) | 2 (171.4056) | 5 (168.5600) | 2 (169.6684) |
| Mar 23, 2019 | Country Road & BBQ Contest -Day2 Torreglia | 19 / 25 (653.6456) | 19 (165.7144) | 20 (161.1200) | 7 (170.2856) | 21 (156.5256) |
| Mar 22, 2019 | Country Road & BBQ Contest -Day1 Torreglia | 18 / 20 (648.4916) | 17 (162.2744) | 20 (147.9772) | 7 (173.1428) | 9 (165.0972) |
| Apr 28, 2018 | 4th Barbecue Bulls Championship Salzburg 2018 Salzburg Austria | 21 / 24 (625.4512) | 15 (164.5256) | 15 (160.5256) | 17 (159.9428) | 24 (140.4572) |
| May 27, 2017 | Brew N Q (OPEN) Burton Upon Trent | 33 / 34 (627.7944) | 34 (144.4800) | 31 (153.6228) | 29 (156.5600) | 2 (173.1316) |
| May 26, 2017 | Brew N Q (INVITATIONAL) unrated Burton Upon Trent | 22 / 26 (647.3140) | 24 (162.8456) | 24 (151.3712) | 8 (169.1200) | 15 (163.9772) |
| Apr 22, 2017 | Bardo-Q BBQ Competition Bardonecchia | 19 / 28 (669.0516) | 26 (162.2744) | 9 (170.8344) | 17 (167.9656) | 15 (167.9772) |
| Apr 8, 2017 | Meat Smoke and Beer Festival 2017 Wels | 2 / 14 (677.6572) | 4 (170.2972) | 1 (170.8688) | 7 (166.2284) | 4 (170.2628) |
| Sep 24, 2016 | 3rd Ruhrpott BBQ 2016 Waltrop NRW, DE | 35 / 67 (642.0908) | 40 (160.5256) | 21 (165.7372) | 47 (155.3368) | 30 (160.4912) |
| Sep 10, 2016 | Brixia 4 Star Championship Brescia, Italy | 4 / 26 (685.6800) | 11 (170.2972) | 2 (174.2972) | 1 (176.5600) | 15 (164.5256) |
| May 21, 2016 | Bohemian BBQ Prague, Czech Republic | 16 / 22 (633.6800) | 4 (172.5828) | 13 (161.1428) | 10 (165.7372) | 22 (134.2172) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.