The heartbreaker
Came within 0.5712 points of the Grand Championship at Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship (2014-07-18).
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
Came within 0.5712 points of the Grand Championship at Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship (2014-07-18).
In the top 8% of every rated team in the data
A power rating of 1671 puts them #523 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 8% of the field.
2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in brisket.
Took the Grand Championship over a 32-team field at 10th Annual Recovery Fest.
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour is their spot: an average finish in the top 8% across 2 visits.
They've won two or more meats on the same day 1 time — the best of them 2 category wins at 10th Annual Recovery Fest (2014-09-05).
A call in 38 of 48 contests
A top-10 category call in 79% of their 48 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
96.6% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 695.3828 at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour — 96.6% of a perfect 720.
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ has finished one call ahead of Rocks Money Pit BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
2014 was the year it came together: 16 contests, 2 Grand Championships and 8 category wins, at an average finish in the top 25%.
CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ ahead in 94% of their meetings
CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ has come out ahead in 17 of their 18 shared contests.
Their last Grand Championship came at Grill'n & Chill'n BBQ Cook-Off on 2014-10-10 — 19 contests and 11.9 years ago.
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of JAM'N HAMS in 13 of their 13 shared contests.
JD'S SMOKIN MISFITS ahead 75% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, JD'S SMOKIN MISFITS has out-cooked them in 12 of 16 shared pork entries.
Runner-up for the whole thing 5 times against 3 Grand Championships — close enough to touch it, over and over.
GRAND SLAM BBQ has landed one call behind them 4 times.
Something about April: average finish in the top 13% across 3 contests, versus top 31% the rest of the year.
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 12,160 miles across 48 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 885 miles to 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open.
Their overall lands within ±2.40% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
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.
These two have cooked 4 of the same contests — JIGGY PIGGY ahead 4–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-headCareers of much the same size, 49 contests to 48, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-headThis is the highest they've ever been rated, 38 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-headTheir rating is built on 3 Grand Championships in 58 contests, alongside a 50% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-headBoth teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Head-to-headLevel with Rocks Money Pit BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | 21 | 11 | 10 | 52% | ⚔ compare |
| 4:20 Q | 20 | 4 | 16 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ | 18 | 1 | 17 | 6% | ⚔ compare |
| JD'S SMOKIN MISFITS | 16 | 10 | 6 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| CHECKERED PIG | 16 | 8 | 8 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 14 | 6 | 8 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| JAM'N HAMS | 13 | 13 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| MAKIN BACON BBQ | 13 | 12 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ | 13 | 8 | 5 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| 3 EYZ BBQ | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| GRAND SLAM BBQ | 12 | 10 | 2 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke-A-Holics | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 48 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 177.7028 | 151.4284 | 165.25 | top 44% |
| Pork Ribs | 48 | 24 | 1 | 9 | 173.1772 | 148.5712 | 165.22 | top 36% |
| Pork | 48 | 21 | 5 | 10 | 176.5600 | 136.5712 | 165.36 | top 36% |
| Brisket | 48 | 24 | 4 | 9 | 180.0000 🔥 | 144.5028 | 164.42 | top 37% |
“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.
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA | 27 | 1 | top 26% |
| NC | 6 | 2 | top 13% |
| MO | 6 | 0 | top 46% |
| GA | 5 | 0 | top 39% |
| SC | 1 | 0 | top 44% |
| PA | 1 | 0 | top 61% |
| AR | 1 | 0 | top 96% |
| MD | 1 | 0 | top 14% |
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 13% |
| Medium (20–39) | 26 | 3 | top 26% |
| Large (40+) | 20 | 0 | top 39% |
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBQ Jamboree | 3 | 5 | 0 | top 27% | 2015-05-08 |
| Que & Cruz | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 43% | 2017-10-06 |
| Covington Cork & Pork Festival | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 32% | 2016-06-24 |
| Smokin' Up The Saddle Club (GBC Qualifier) | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 63% | 2015-11-13 |
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 37% | 2015-09-04 |
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 8% | 2015-06-05 |
| The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 26% | 2014-11-21 |
| Black Dog Music and Que Festival | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 23% | 2014-09-12 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13.6 | Chesapeake Jubilee BBQ Cook-off | 2013-05-17 |
| +12.2 | Recovery Fest 2013 | 2013-09-06 |
| +12.2 | Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off | 2013-10-11 |
| +11.8 | Black Dog Music and Que Festival | 2013-09-13 |
| +11.7 | Pork in the Park Barbeque Festival | 2013-04-19 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.5 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open | 2015-10-03 |
| -13.2 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship | 2015-10-09 |
| -9.9 | Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest | 2014-10-17 |
| -8.8 | The Ironman | 2017-03-31 |
| -6 | Que & Cruz | 2017-10-06 |
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 33% | 92.4% | 92.4% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100% | top 44% | 92% | 92% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 57% | 89% | 88.2% |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 21% | 93.8% | 93.2% |
| 2015 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 67% | top 44% | 96.6% | 92.4% |
| 2014 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 88% | top 25% | 96.6% | 92.8% |
| 2013 | 17 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 76% | top 26% | 94.4% | 90.5% |
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-10-11 | Waxhaw Grillin & Chillin BBQ cook-off 🏅 Waxhaw, NC | 9 / 27 (664.9940) | 9 (170.8228) | 17 (158.2056) | 6 (169.7028) | 10 (166.2628) |
| 2018-11-16 | Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown Mt. Pleasant, SC | 11 / 25 (662.1372) | 1 (177.7028) | 12 (165.0972) | 18 (160.5144) | 13 (158.8228) |
| 2017-10-06 | Que & Cruz Louisa, VA | 15 / 28 (640.9828) | 24 (154.8228) | 3 (169.1200) | 9 (164.5256) | 21 (152.5144) |
| 2017-03-31 | The Ironman Greencastle, PA | 36 / 59 (628.4576) | 23 (163.3944) | 28 (159.9772) | 51 (148.5144) | 35 (156.5716) |
| 2016-09-09 | 12th Annual Recovery Fest/7th Annual BBQ State Championship 🏅 Richmond, VA | 5 / 25 (675.4172) | 14 (163.4056) | 14 (161.6916) | 2 (175.4056) | 3 (174.9144) |
| 2016-06-24 | Covington Cork & Pork Festival Covington, VA | 6 / 27 (666.2064) | 5 (170.8344) | 9 (166.2744) | 17 (165.1088) | 13 (163.9888) |
| 2015-11-13 | Smokin' Up The Saddle Club (GBC Qualifier) Chatsworth, GA | 29 / 48 (666.7428) | 27 (167.3944) | 33 (167.3828) | 7 (170.8456) | 41 (161.1200) |
| 2015-10-09 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR | 48 / 50 (670.7772) | 43 (168.5600) | 29 (172.5600) | 20 (173.1316) | 50 (156.5256) |
| 2015-10-03 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO | 369 / 606 (643.2340) | 348 (162.7884) | 272 (165.0972) | 307 (163.9656) | 477 (151.3828) |
| 2015-10-02 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO | 130 / 187 (666.2172) | 142 (165.6800) | 91 (168.0000) | 113 (167.3944) | 133 (165.1428) |
| 2015-09-11 | 11th Annual Recovery Fest Richmond, VA | 14 / 29 (644.4800) | 21 (157.6800) | 4 (167.4516) | 12 (163.9312) | 17 (155.4172) |
| 2015-09-04 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Richmond, VA | 4 / 30 (677.6800) | 4 (174.8572) | 14 (167.4172) | 4 (172.5600) | 18 (162.8456) |
| 2015-06-05 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Asheville, NC | 2 / 30 (695.3828) | 13 (170.8456) | 9 (171.9656) | 2 (174.8688) | 1 (177.7028) |
| 2015-05-08 | BBQ Jamboree Fredericksburg, VA | 17 / 65 (648.9940) | 32 (162.7884) | 37 (158.2744) | 31 (157.0856) | 8 (170.8456) |
| 2015-04-17 | 2nd Annual Pickin' N' Pullin BBQ Competition Lanexa, VA | 7 / 46 (673.6568) | 10 (171.4056) | 5 (172.5944) | 10 (167.9656) | 13 (161.6912) |
| 2014-12-05 | Calhoun KOA's Calhoun, GA | 7 / 38 (693.0628) | 26 (169.1200) | 12 (171.9772) | 14 (171.9656) | 2 (180.0000) |
| 2014-11-21 | The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA) Cumming, GA | 4 / 86 (695.3828) | 6 (177.1428) | 49 (166.2400) | 1 (176.5600) | 9 (175.4400) |
| 2014-11-14 | Smokin' Up The Saddle Club (SBBQA) Chatsworth, GA | 22 / 34 (671.2800) | 25 (167.9656) | 18 (168.5488) | 21 (165.0972) | 19 (169.6684) |
| 2014-10-17 | Shenandoah Valley BBQ Fest Woodstock, VA | 25 / 40 (642.1828) | 33 (151.9656) | 3 (170.2744) | 28 (159.3828) | 21 (160.5600) |
| 2014-10-10 | Grill'n & Chill'n BBQ Cook-Off Waxhaw, NC | 1 / 27 (684.5144) | 11 (167.4172) | 9 (167.3828) | 1 (174.8572) | 3 (174.8572) |
| 2014-10-02 | 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 91 / 552 (674.8116) | 345 (162.2744) | 72 (172.5944) | 84 (171.9772) | 146 (167.9656) |
| 2014-10-02 | 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO | 68 / 165 (674.1944) | 159 (155.9316) | 57 (170.2972) | 80 (167.9656) | 1 (180.0000) |
| 2014-09-12 | Black Dog Music and Que Festival Floyd, VA | 7 / 21 (661.0168) | 19 (154.7884) | 4 (172.5600) | 14 (162.8000) | 4 (170.8684) |
| 2014-09-05 | 10th Annual Recovery Fest Richmond, VA | 1 / 32 (669.1200) | 13 (158.2400) | 1 (173.1772) | 5 (165.0856) | 1 (172.6172) |
| 2014-08-29 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Richmond, VA | 18 / 30 (655.8856) | 2 (176.5944) | 12 (166.8228) | 26 (157.6572) | 25 (154.8112) |
| 2014-08-22 | Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival Harrisonburg, VA | 2 / 16 (655.3368) | 2 (169.6800) | 11 (154.8112) | 3 (167.9656) | 1 (162.8800) |
| 2014-07-18 | Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship Galax, VA | 2 / 30 (672.5488) | 11 (165.7144) | 10 (164.5716) | 1 (172.0000) | 5 (170.2628) |
| 2014-06-27 | Covington Cork & Pork Festival Covington, VA | 11 / 26 (651.4172) | 14 (162.2628) | 8 (165.7372) | 7 (168.0000) | 23 (155.4172) |
| 2014-06-13 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Asheville, NC | 3 / 30 (677.7376) | 19 (163.9772) | 3 (171.4172) | 4 (173.1544) | 7 (169.1888) |
| 2014-05-09 | BBQ Jamboree Fredericksburg, VA | 5 / 64 (652.0000) | 45 (151.9656) | 5 (168.5828) | 15 (162.8572) | 2 (168.5944) |
| 2014-04-04 | Rockahock's Pickin' and Pullin' Festival Lanexa, VA | 4 / 41 (659.9428) | 1 (174.2972) | 2 (168.5372) | 16 (159.9884) | 17 (157.1200) |
| 2013-11-15 | The National BBQ Cup (GBC Qualifier) Cumming, GA | 38 / 79 (670.7544) | 30 (171.9656) | 67 (159.3944) | 57 (165.6800) | 17 (173.7144) |
| 2013-10-18 | Autumnfest Woodstock, VA | 6 / 40 (650.7544) | 10 (166.8344) | 7 (168.0000) | 36 (146.7772) | 4 (169.1428) |
| 2013-10-11 | Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off Waxhaw, NC | 1 / 25 (679.4400) | 2 (174.8572) | 4 (169.1428) | 3 (172.0000) | 8 (163.4400) |
| 2013-10-03 | 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 220 / 535 (645.0172) | 337 (158.2400) | 388 (153.6572) | 62 (170.2628) | 176 (162.8572) |
| 2013-10-03 | 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO | 82 / 174 (663.4172) | 116 (163.4400) | 150 (155.4172) | 24 (173.1200) | 36 (171.4400) |
| 2013-09-20 | Smokin' on the Track BBQ Shenandoah, VA | 3 / 26 (651.8744) | 8 (163.4172) | 2 (167.9772) | 19 (154.8000) | 3 (165.6800) |
| 2013-09-13 | Black Dog Music and Que Festival Floyd, VA | 2 / 16 (674.2512) | 5 (166.8456) | 3 (169.1544) | 1 (169.7028) | 4 (168.5484) |
| 2013-09-06 | Recovery Fest 2013 Richmond, VA | 2 / 28 (646.1944) | 3 (166.2972) | 2 (165.1316) | 9 (157.0856) | 8 (157.6800) |
| 2013-08-23 | Blue Ridge BBQ and Music Festival Harrisonburg, VA | 8 / 28 (630.7772) | 6 (162.2972) | 5 (160.5716) | 5 (163.4056) | 21 (144.5028) |
| 2013-07-26 | Bluemont BBQ Bash & Blackberry Bonanza Bluemont, VA | 13 / 33 (636.4688) | 11 (163.9772) | 20 (155.4172) | 16 (158.8116) | 14 (158.2628) |
| 2013-07-19 | Que & Cruz Louisa, VA | 15 / 45 (643.9084) | 8 (169.1428) | 24 (155.9428) | 3 (168.5828) | 33 (150.2400) |
| 2013-06-28 | Covington Cork and Pork Festival Covington, VA | 5 / 25 (657.7142) | 23 (151.4284) | 5 (166.2860) | 1 (174.8570) | 8 (165.1428) |
| 2013-06-21 | BBQ, Bands & Brews Palmyra, VA | 11 / 25 (647.9998) | 17 (159.4286) | 9 (161.1430) | 5 (167.4284) | 10 (159.9998) |
| 2013-06-07 | Lincolnton Hog Happenin' Lincolnton, NC | 7 / 34 (669.1428) | 15 (166.8570) | 2 (173.1432) | 27 (154.8568) | 4 (174.2858) |
| 2013-05-17 | Chesapeake Jubilee BBQ Cook-off Chesapeake, VA | 3 / 34 (650.8568) | 5 (167.4288) | 15 (154.8568) | 11 (163.4286) | 5 (165.1426) |
| 2013-05-10 | BBQ Jamboree Fredericksburg, VA | 28 / 60 (614.8570) | 4 (167.4286) | 10 (162.2858) | 56 (136.5712) | 32 (148.5714) |
| 2013-04-19 | Pork in the Park Barbeque Festival Salisbury, MD | 15 / 106 (642.8568) | 37 (160.0000) | 74 (148.5712) | 12 (166.8570) | 7 (167.4286) |
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1530 (163 pts) | #1763 (128 pts) | #1160 (288 pts) | #1412 (198 pts) | #1733 (133 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #348 (1074 pts) | #472 (829 pts) | #395 (939 pts) | #286 (1144 pts) | #383 (979 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #65 (2245 pts) | #154 (1608 pts) | #71 (1955 pts) | #70 (1970 pts) | #39 (2309 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #92 (2021 pts) | #96 (1800 pts) | #52 (1987 pts) | #74 (1874 pts) | #115 (1768 pts) |