Nice Racks NJ
Rating
1568
peak 1581 · rated over 22 contests
Contests
24
in the data
First seen
2019-07-12
latest 2026-07-11
Best ToY finish
#567
Master 2020
Grand champs
2
0 reserve
Category wins
2
8 podiums
Overall top-10s
9
of 24 contests
Avg finish
top 34%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
670.75 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 673.83 (-3.08)
Walk rate
75%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
best run (overall)
Consistency
±11.48
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 170.24 · weakest Brisket (164.72)
Road miles
6775
mi across 23 mapped stops · furthest 861 mi
Schedule strength
33%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1527)
Purse competed for
$214K
listed at 22 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
GCs in 21 state-championship entries
Master avg
673.83 / 720
22 Master contests · 1 GC
Backyard avg
326.30 / 360
1 Backyard contest · 1 GC
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
B'S QUE has finished one call ahead of Nice Racks 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
RUMPLEPIGSKIN BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ has come out ahead in 11 of their 14 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE in 10 of their 12 shared contests.
🗡️ Giant slayer
Took the Grand Championship over a 30-team field at Maryland State BBQ Bash.
😤 Pork nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ has out-cooked them in 9 of 14 shared pork entries.
📅 A July team
Something about July: average finish in the top 25% across 8 contests, versus top 34% the rest of the year.
🐣 Announced themselves early
Finished 1 of 23 at their very first tracked contest, Fire In the Sky BBQ Lite'N Up Broadway (BACKYARD ONLY) ().
Teams like this (closest power rating, NJ first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 15 | 5 | 10 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | 14 | 3 | 11 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE | 12 | 10 | 2 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | 12 | 9 | 3 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| BOGGS HOG BBQ | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| CHUNKY BBQ | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEKEND SMOKERS | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| Top Gun Barbecue | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| Sasquatch BBQ | 9 | 9 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Palm tree smokehouse | 9 | 8 | 1 | 89% | ⚔ compare |
| POPPA Q-BBQ | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| DANTE'S INFERNO | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| BUBBA'S BARBECUE | 8 | 8 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| HARCO LOCO BBQ | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 23 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 177.7144 | 157.1200 | 169.32 | top 39% |
| Pork Ribs | 24 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 176.5600 | 157.6572 | 168.99 | top 36% |
| Pork | 22 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 177.1428 | 160.5256 | 170.24 | top 33% |
| Brisket | 22 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 176.5828 | 151.3600 | 164.72 | top 49% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | 8 | 1 | top 19% |
| PA | 6 | 0 | top 29% |
| FL | 4 | 0 | top 67% |
| MD | 3 | 1 | top 25% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 80% |
| DE | 1 | 0 | top 25% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 9 | 2 | top 34% |
| Large (40+) | 14 | 0 | top 33% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey State Barbecue Championship | 6 | 3 | 0 | top 23% | 2026-07-11 |
| Maryland State BBQ Bash | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 25% | 2023-10-13 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2026 (4 contests)
- Cooks mostly in NJ (8 of 24 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (24 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Fire In the Sky BBQ Lite'N Up Broadway (BACKYARD ONLY) (null)
- Wins it all in 8% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 673.83 / 720
- Average Backyard overall score: 326.30 / 360
Milestones
- 🚩 — First tracked contest · Fire In the Sky BBQ Lite'N Up Broadway (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 📣 — First call · Fire In the Sky BBQ Lite'N Up Broadway (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 🏆 — First Grand Championship · Fire In the Sky BBQ Lite'N Up Broadway (BACKYARD ONLY)
- ⭐ 2022-07-09 — Career-best overall score (693.6572) · New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
- 📈 2025-07-12 — Peak power rating (1581) · New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.8 | Maryland State BBQ Bash | 2019-08-09 |
| +13.7 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship | 2022-07-09 |
| +12.8 | New Jersey State BBQ Championship | 2021-07-09 |
| +12.5 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship | 2019-07-12 |
| +10.1 | Maryland State BBQ Bash | 2023-10-13 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.3 | The Downtown BBQ Showdown | 2026-04-17 |
| -8.9 | Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest | 2022-01-07 |
| -6.4 | Pitmasters in Paradise | 2026-04-25 |
| -6.1 | 32nd Annual Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series)(JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) | 2021-10-08 |
| -5.2 | Smoke in the Grove | 2020-07-24 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 4% | 90.6% | 90.6% |
| 2026 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 61% | 94.4% | 93.9% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 35% | 92.1% | 92.1% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 38% | 95.7% | 94.4% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 21% | 95.4% | 94% |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 34% | 96.3% | 94.3% |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 75% | top 36% | 94.6% | 92.9% |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 38% | 93.6% | 92.5% |
| 2019 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 67% | top 14% | 95.9% | 93.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-11 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 18 / 62 (677.6112) | 13 (172.0000) | 23 (168.5600) | 10 (174.2628) | 37 (162.7884) |
| 2026-04-25 | Pitmasters in Paradise 🏅 Auburndale, FL | 24 / 35 (679.8628) | 28 (166.2516) | 7 (176.5600) | 24 (168.5256) | 23 (168.5256) |
| 2026-04-17 | The Downtown BBQ Showdown 🏅 Lake City, FL | 35 / 41 (670.1372) | 31 (169.6800) | 28 (168.5372) | 29 (170.2628) | 37 (161.6572) |
| 2026-04-17 | The Downtown BBQ Showdown (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lake City, FL | — | — | 18 (168.5372) | — | — |
| 2025-07-12 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 22 / 63 (662.7656) | 47 (157.1200) | 23 (166.2628) | 10 (171.4056) | 15 (167.9772) |
| 2024-07-13 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 21 / 62 (663.3488) | 25 (167.4172) | 1 (174.8572) | 13 (169.6916) | 51 (151.3828) |
| 2024-05-24 | Big Knob BBQ & Brew Fest 🏅 Rochester, PA | 6 / 23 (689.0856) | 8 (172.5600) | 9 (170.2628) | 3 (177.1428) | 10 (169.1200) |
| 2024-02-09 | Grills Gone Wild 🏅 Davenport, FL | 15 / 28 (686.1944) | 10 (174.2628) | 6 (175.4288) | 14 (171.9772) | 23 (164.5256) |
| 2023-10-13 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 4 / 23 (686.8344) | 12 (170.2744) | 4 (173.7144) | 8 (171.4056) | 7 (171.4400) |
| 2023-07-14 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 16 / 64 (667.3256) | 11 (172.5600) | 35 (162.2628) | 2 (175.4400) | 38 (157.0628) |
| 2022-10-14 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD | 16 / 30 (662.7316) | 16 (168.5372) | 4 (174.3088) | 22 (160.5256) | 19 (159.3600) |
| 2022-08-26 | New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA | 8 / 49 (687.8856) | 6 (174.2628) | 5 (175.4172) | 16 (169.6800) | 16 (168.5256) |
| 2022-07-09 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 3 / 61 (693.6572) | 2 (177.7144) | 15 (169.1200) | 5 (174.2744) | 7 (172.5484) |
| 2022-01-07 | Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest 🏅 Lake Wales, FL | 18 / 29 (671.2568) | 19 (168.5256) | 25 (166.8112) | 22 (163.9428) | 8 (171.9772) |
| 2021-10-08 | 32nd Annual Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series)(JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 56 / 70 (668.5144) | 64 (160.5372) | 22 (173.1544) | 17 (172.0228) | 62 (162.8000) |
| 2021-09-24 | Smoke in the Park 🏅 Lemoyne, PA | 6 / 31 (681.1204) | 4 (176.0116) | 22 (161.1544) | 2 (176.5600) | 13 (167.3944) |
| 2021-07-09 | New Jersey State BBQ Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 5 / 59 (674.2284) | 4 (176.0000) | 4 (173.1428) | 2 (173.7256) | 38 (151.3600) |
| 2021-05-14 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 16 / 46 (651.2456) | 10 (168.5256) | 28 (157.6572) | 4 (170.8228) | 34 (154.2400) |
| 2020-07-24 | Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA | 28 / 59 (658.7204) | 27 (165.6800) | 32 (162.8000) | 38 (163.9660) | 25 (166.2744) |
| 2020-06-26 | York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA | 15 / 53 (673.6004) | 22 (170.2628) | 20 (168.5372) | 22 (167.4060) | 21 (167.3944) |
| 2019-10-18 | Boo-B-Que 🏅 Rehoboth Beach, DE | 16 / 63 (662.8116) | 19 (167.9772) | 22 (162.8916) | 21 (165.6800) | 16 (166.2628) |
| 2019-08-09 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD | 1 / 30 (690.2284) | 10 (168.5256) | 6 (173.1428) | 4 (171.9772) | 1 (176.5828) |
| 2019-07-12 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 8 / 64 (665.0516) | 8 (170.8228) | 11 (165.1544) | 29 (164.5256) | 17 (164.5488) |
| Fire In the Sky BBQ Lite'N Up Broadway (BACKYARD ONLY) Broadway Westville, NJ | 1 / 23 (326.2972) | 7 (158.8228) | 2 (167.4744) | — | — |
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 ↗ | Master | #894 (60 pts) | #974 (60 pts) | #785 (141 pts) | #929 (60 pts) | #917 (60 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #803 (163 pts) | #912 (143 pts) | #970 (133 pts) | #725 (223 pts) | #912 (123 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1087 (105 pts) | #984 (130 pts) | #1432 (60 pts) | #653 (260 pts) | #1296 (60 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #683 (255 pts) | #682 (275 pts) | #586 (390 pts) | #890 (175 pts) | #817 (190 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #1059 (105 pts) | #920 (135 pts) | #1309 (60 pts) | #717 (210 pts) | #1245 (60 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #567 (170 pts) | #654 (135 pts) | #644 (145 pts) | #652 (135 pts) | #645 (140 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1347 (155 pts) | #1419 (155 pts) | #1521 (130 pts) | #2032 (60 pts) | #1748 (100 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1676 (120 pts) | #1742 (125 pts) | #1412 (195 pts) | #1790 (120 pts) | #1576 (155 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #2084 (75 pts) | #1497 (190 pts) | #2081 (90 pts) | #2172 (75 pts) | #2148 (75 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1970 (75 pts) | #2073 (75 pts) | #1885 (105 pts) | #2029 (85 pts) | #2034 (75 pts) |