The heartbreaker
1.1084
points from the title
Came within 1.1084 points of the Grand Championship at Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) (Jun 14, 2024).
VanHoozen BBQ
VanHoozen BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 16 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 13 at the Smokin Downtown (BACKYARD ONLY) (2026), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #2877 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1509
peak 1509 · rated over 11 contests
Contests
16
in the data
First seen
May 19, 2023
latest Sep 11, 2026 · 3.3 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
2 reserve
Category wins
2
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
3
19% of 16 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s, still running
Avg finish
top 60%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
675.71 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 660.04 (+15.67)
Walk rate
38%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±23.24
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 169.31 · weakest Pork (160.89)
Road miles
701
across 16 mapped stops · furthest 109 mi
Schedule strength
59%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1575)
Purse competed for
$53K
listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 11 state-championship entries
Master avg
660.04 / 720
8 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
343.02 / 360
3 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #119 (381 pts) | #150 (296 pts) | #131 (406 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #699 (170 pts) | #699 (210 pts) | #469 (456 pts) | #837 (120 pts) | #794 (140 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #863 (124 pts) | #995 (119 pts) | #638 (298 pts) | #767 (184 pts) | #783 (179 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #192 (253 pts) | #249 (168 pts) | #184 (278 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #841 (137 pts) | #669 (267 pts) | #822 (199 pts) | #931 (122 pts) | #914 (122 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1017 (118 pts) | #751 (219 pts) | #795 (237 pts) | #1064 (118 pts) | #1059 (118 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to VanHoozen BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
100 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,874 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1509
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to VanHoozen BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team VanHoozen BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,883 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1509
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#2,881 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1521
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before VanHoozen BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,872 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1531
Fewer contests behind them than VanHoozen BBQ has cooked, 11 to 16, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#2,878 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1526
12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 8% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#2,890 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1508
They were already cooking in 2018, 5 years before VanHoozen BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAT'S BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| Porkasaurus Rex BBQ | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Sailor Nicks BBQ | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Bleacher Bums BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| DB BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| iBQ'n | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| B&R SMOKE | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| TIRE SMOKE BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Shiggin aint easy | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| BooyaQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| QUE U | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| RedHog BBQ | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| OUTLAW BBQ SMOKERS | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Mac Attack BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 176.5828 | 156.5028 | 168.84 | top 57% |
| Pork Ribs | 15 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 178.8572 | 162.8000 | 169.31 | top 48% |
| Pork | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 174.2744 | 146.2628 | 160.89 | top 76% |
| Brisket | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 169.7028 | 144.5036 | 161.62 | top 72% |
“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 30% |
| Medium (20–39) | 6 | 0 | top 72% |
| Large (40+) | 3 | 0 | top 56% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLBBQA Spring Fling | 2 | 30 | 0 | top 68% | Apr 18, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
5 contests
Contests a season
4
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IN
11 of 16 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
10
1 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
15 entries · 2 wins · 5 calls
Opponents faced
165
finished ahead 148 times, behind 246
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20264 milestones
- Career-best overall score690.3088 GLBBQA Spring Fling
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 GLBBQA Spring Fling
- Peak power rating (1509) September Fest
- Most recent contest September Fest
20251 milestone
- 10th tracked contest 11th Annual Rockin' BBQ (ONE MEAT RIBS)
20246 milestones
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.6624 GLBBQA Spring Fling
- First call Rockin' BBQ Warsaw
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall top-10 Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall podium Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First Reserve Championship Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
20231 milestone
- First tracked contest Rocking BBQ Warsaw (ONE MEAT RIBS)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.4 | Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jun 14, 2024 |
| +16.1 | Smokin Downtown (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 8, 2026 |
| +10.1 | GLBBQA Spring Fling | Apr 17, 2026 |
| +2.7 | GLBBQA Spring Fling | Apr 18, 2025 |
| +2.2 | September Fest | Sep 11, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.8 | Rockin' BBQ Take 2 | Aug 25, 2023 |
| -11 | Rocking BBQ Warsaw | May 19, 2023 |
| -9.2 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana | May 15, 2026 |
| -6.2 | GLBBQA Spring Fling | Apr 19, 2024 |
| -1.7 | 11th Annual Rockin' BBQ | May 16, 2025 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 80% | top 45% | 95.9% | 94.4% |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 62% | 94.4% | 93.8% |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% | top 52% | 96.5% | 93.6% |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 99% | 86.8% | 86.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2026 | September Fest 🏅 Coldwater, MI | 7 / 16 (336.5144) | 11 (168.5372) | 7 (167.9772) | — | — |
| Sep 11, 2026 | September Fest (ONE MEAT RIBS) Coldwater, MI | — | — | 7 (167.9656) | — | — |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Smokin Downtown (BACKYARD ONLY) Warsaw, IN | 2 / 13 (345.1084) | 4 (170.8456) | 1 (174.2628) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 31 / 35 (663.9312) | 21 (171.4056) | 17 (171.4172) | 35 (151.9656) | 21 (169.1428) |
| Apr 17, 2026 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Coldwater, MI | 15 / 48 (690.3088) | 11 (174.8916) | 4 (178.8572) | 32 (168.5372) | 25 (168.0228) |
| May 16, 2025 | 11th Annual Rockin' BBQ 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 24 / 34 (671.3144) | 27 (167.3828) | 17 (170.2860) | 29 (163.9428) | 13 (169.7028) |
| May 16, 2025 | 11th Annual Rockin' BBQ (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Warsaw, IN | — | — | 17 (168.5372) | — | — |
| Apr 18, 2025 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI | 30 / 56 (679.9200) | 44 (166.8228) | 16 (171.4172) | 12 (174.2744) | 37 (167.4056) |
| Jun 14, 2024 | Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Logansport, IN | 2 / 28 (347.4288) | 6 (172.5716) | 1 (174.8572) | — | — |
| May 17, 2024 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 21 / 32 (673.0628) | 4 (176.5828) | 20 (167.4056) | 24 (162.2400) | 24 (166.8344) |
| May 17, 2024 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Warsaw, IN | — | — | 25 (165.6800) | — | — |
| Apr 19, 2024 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI | 51 / 62 (654.6624) | 39 (167.9540) | 49 (162.8000) | 42 (166.8344) | 56 (157.0740) |
| Aug 25, 2023 | Rockin' BBQ Take 2 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 23 / 23 (622.1372) | 23 (156.5028) | 17 (169.1316) | 23 (146.2628) | 23 (150.2400) |
| Aug 25, 2023 | Rockin' BBQ Take 2 (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Warsaw, IN | — | 14 (170.8456) | — | — | — |
| May 19, 2023 | Rocking BBQ Warsaw 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 34 / 35 (624.9608) | 30 (161.7028) | 25 (165.6800) | 33 (153.0744) | 34 (144.5036) |
| May 19, 2023 | Rocking BBQ Warsaw (ONE MEAT RIBS) Warsaw, IN | — | — | 18 (163.3944) | — | — |