SHIRTS ON FIRE BBQ

SHIRTS ON FIRE BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 27 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2018 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 14th of 24 at the Little Apple Classic Car & BBQ Cook Off (2019). They are ranked #5485 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,485

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1451

peak 1451 · rated over 23 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jul 13, 2018

latest Mar 20, 2026 · 7.7 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#498

Master 2019 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 27 contests

Avg finish

top 71%

overall standings

Best overall

665.0172 / 720

Master · American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest

Perfect 180s

Current form

658.99 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 648.83 (+10.16)

Walk rate

19%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

175.4172

Chicken · Smoke on the Water

Consistency

±14.50

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 163.99 · weakest Brisket (160.52)

Road miles

2,624

across 27 mapped stops · furthest 579 mi

Schedule strength

69%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1588)

Purse competed for

$350K

listed at 19 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 19 state-championship entries

Master avg

648.83 / 720

23 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

High-water mark

665.0172 career-best overall

92.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 665.0172 at American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest — 92.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Nov 5, 2025

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

ROCK N BLUES BBQ has finished one call ahead of SHIRTS ON FIRE BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2024 their best year

2024 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 55%.

3 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 55%

A tough matchup

15–0 behind in the head-to-head

MAN MEAT BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

MAN MEAT BBQ has come out ahead in 15 of their 15 shared contests.

A strong matchup

4–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Hawg Wild in 4 of their 5 shared contests.

The comeback

1.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.8 years, then back at Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest (Jul 9, 2021).

last seen Sep 20, 2019
back Jul 9, 2021

Chicken nemesis

13 of 15 shared chicken entries lost

MAN MEAT BBQ ahead 87% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, MAN MEAT BBQ has out-cooked them in 13 of 15 shared chicken entries.

Show 2 more storylines

A June team

Top 61% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 61% across 4 contests, versus top 71% the rest of the year.

4 June contests
top 71% the rest of the year

The metronome

±2.01% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.01% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.1% of a perfect score
27 contests

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 ↗	Master	#1020 (60 pts)	#1093 (60 pts)	#1161 (60 pts)	#1067 (60 pts)	#1051 (60 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#1148 (60 pts)	#1221 (60 pts)	#1293 (60 pts)	#1190 (60 pts)	#1190 (60 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#1182 (60 pts)	#1242 (60 pts)	#1317 (60 pts)	#1231 (60 pts)	#1204 (60 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#938 (120 pts)	#782 (205 pts)	#997 (155 pts)	#989 (120 pts)	#989 (120 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#883 (160 pts)	#932 (155 pts)	#893 (185 pts)	#702 (260 pts)	#1001 (125 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#1236 (60 pts)	#1286 (60 pts)	#1309 (60 pts)	#1262 (60 pts)	#1245 (60 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#498 (662 pts)	#541 (642 pts)	#555 (622 pts)	#427 (792 pts)	#424 (787 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1307 (179 pts)	#1355 (179 pts)	#1222 (229 pts)	#1368 (179 pts)	#1288 (194 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to SHIRTS ON FIRE BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

BBQ SHOGUN

#5,473 of the rated field

1452 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1452

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SHIRTS ON FIRE BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SHIRTS ON FIRE BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Sep 29, 2022

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKE JUMPERS

#5,472 of the rated field

1452 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1452

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SHIRTS ON FIRE BBQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Jun 16, 2022

⚔ Head-to-head

LC'S SMOKIN BAR BQ

#5,482 of the rated field

1451 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1451

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SHIRTS ON FIRE BBQ)

Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before SHIRTS ON FIRE BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 6 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

JT'S SMOKE SHACK

#5,500 of the rated field

1451 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 12%
Peak: 1525

Careers of much the same size, 25 contests to 27, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Jun 5, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Q & STEW BEST EVER BBQ

#5,492 of the rated field

1451 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1451

27 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 7% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 27 contests
last seen May 3, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

BIG ORANGE SMOKERS

#5,475 of the rated field

1452 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1512

They were already cooking in 2013, 5 years before SHIRTS ON FIRE BBQ's first contest.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Mar 20, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
MAN MEAT BBQ	15	0	15	0%	⚔ compare
FINGER LEIKAM GOOD	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
Fat&Dumb BBQ	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKING HILLS	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
913 BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
AMERICAN FIRE BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
SLAPS BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
B & C SMOKERS	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
777 BBQ	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
LOVE 2 Q	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
Cow Creek BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
HIGH i QUE	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
DIRT ROAD BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
M Squared Smokin' Q	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	23	2	175.4172	149.1084	163.99	top 64%
Pork Ribs	23	1	171.4172	141.7144	161.19	top 69%
Pork	23	2	171.4744	154.8112	163.13	top 65%
Brisket	23	1	170.2628	130.2744	160.52	top 61%

“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
Medium (20–39)	9	0	top 70%
Large (40+)	14	0	top 71%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
KS	20	top 70%
NE	2	top 81%
CO	1	top 67%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	3	36	top 83%	Jul 9, 2021
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	2	271	top 72%	Nov 5, 2025
Big Blue BBQ Championship	2	15	top 71%	Jun 6, 2025
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	2	361	top 83%	Sep 27, 2023

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 9 contests

Contests a season 3.4 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in KS 24 of 27 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 18 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 1,333 finished ahead 761 times, behind 2,064

Longest layoff 1.8 yrs Sep 20, 2019 → Jul 9, 2021

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

20261 milestone

Mar 20 Most recent contest 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship

20252 milestones

Nov 5 25th tracked contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
Nov 5 Career-best overall score665.0172 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest

20231 milestone

Oct 13 Career-best single call (Chicken)175.4172 Smoke on the Water

20192 milestones

Apr 26 First call Sertoma 48 BBQ
Jun 14 10th tracked contest 26th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge

20183 milestones

Jul 13 First tracked contest Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest
Aug 24 First overall past 90% of a perfect score658.7772 East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival
Aug 24 Peak power rating (1494) East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+8.3	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship	Jun 21, 2024
+5.1	East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival	Aug 24, 2018
+3.3	Sertoma 48 BBQ	Apr 26, 2019
+1.7	Big Blue BBQ Championship	Jun 3, 2022
+1.3	Little Apple Classic Car & BBQ Cook Off	Sep 20, 2019

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.6	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	Jul 13, 2018
-9.5	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	Sep 27, 2023
-8.7	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak Cookoff Challenge	Sep 1, 2018
-5.8	8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship	Mar 20, 2026
-4.2	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	Jul 9, 2021

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0%	top 84%	90.6%	90.6%
2025	3	0%	top 75%	92.4%	92.1%
2024	3	0%	top 55%	92.2%	91.4%
2023	3	33%	top 85%	91%	88.2%
2022	3	33%	top 66%	92.1%	91.2%
2021	1	0%	top 84%	90.1%	90.1%
2019	9	33%	top 66%	92.3%	90.5%
2018	4	0%	top 77%	91.5%	87.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Mar 20, 2026	8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS	57 / 68 (652.4796)	42 (168.0572)	47 (166.2512)	50 (166.8228)	64 (151.3484)
Nov 5, 2025	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
Nov 5, 2025	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	271 / 401 (665.0172)	344 (160.5256)	213 (168.5600)	249 (167.3944)	184 (168.5372)
Jun 6, 2025	Big Blue BBQ Championship 🏅 Marysville, KS	24 / 29 (661.6576)	24 (165.1088)	19 (166.2744)	26 (161.7028)	17 (168.5716)
Oct 30, 2024	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
Oct 30, 2024	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	342 / 444 (651.8856)	179 (171.4056)	387 (158.2516)	405 (154.8112)	214 (167.4172)
Jun 21, 2024	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS	57 / 172 (663.9312)	76 (164.5600)	85 (163.3828)	70 (165.7256)	31 (170.2628)
Oct 13, 2023	Smoke on the Water 🏅 Topeka, KS	29 / 39 (655.2340)	9 (175.4172)	18 (170.8228)	30 (158.7884)	33 (150.2056)
Sep 27, 2023	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 27, 2023	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	461 / 487 (615.3600)	366 (162.8344)	350 (162.8456)	391 (159.4056)	482 (130.2744)
Oct 1, 2022	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 29, 2022	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	361 / 505 (650.1828)	341 (163.9656)	258 (166.8688)	270 (166.2856)	442 (153.0628)
Jun 3, 2022	Big Blue BBQ Championship 🏅 Marysville, KS	15 / 25 (662.7772)	16 (164.5372)	10 (170.8456)	4 (170.8572)	22 (156.5372)
Jul 9, 2021	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest 🏅 Mayetta, KS	36 / 43 (648.4228)	29 (167.4172)	36 (158.2400)	39 (158.8228)	28 (163.9428)
Sep 20, 2019	Little Apple Classic Car & BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Manhattan, KS	14 / 24 (664.5028)	9 (170.8572)	15 (166.2856)	17 (163.9656)	12 (163.3944)
Aug 31, 2019	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak cook-off challenge 🏅 Omaha, NE	19 / 28 (652.5256)	21 (161.7372)	19 (165.1544)	21 (160.5484)	12 (165.0856)
Jul 12, 2019	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest 🏅 Mayetta, KS	41 / 59 (652.5828)	42 (165.1544)	33 (166.2972)	54 (158.2740)	37 (162.8572)
Jun 14, 2019	26th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge 🏅 Frisco, CO	37 / 55 (639.3600)	21 (168.5600)	42 (153.1200)	40 (154.8456)	28 (162.8344)
May 31, 2019	McLouth BBQ Blowout 28th Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS	17 / 25 (653.6684)	25 (154.8228)	19 (161.6800)	4 (171.4744)	11 (165.6912)
May 10, 2019	Grasshopper '19 🏅 DeSoto, KS	42 / 53 (649.0052)	51 (157.1084)	47 (156.4912)	36 (167.4056)	29 (168)
Apr 26, 2019	Sertoma 48 BBQ 🏅 Lawrence, KS	20 / 38 (656.5028)	24 (161.6912)	33 (157.1200)	11 (168.5600)	10 (169.1316)
Apr 12, 2019	Smoke In the Springs 🏅 Osage City, KS	69 / 104 (654.2060)	44 (168.5600)	80 (160.5144)	86 (159.4172)	54 (165.7144)
Mar 15, 2019	Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS	41 / 64 (643.3716)	27 (167.4516)	47 (157.1084)	38 (161.0972)	45 (157.7144)
Oct 6, 2018	Rib's and Bibs Topeka, KS	28 / 37 (638.6972)	23 (165.1084)	34 (154.8000)	14 (170.2744)	33 (148.5144)
Sep 1, 2018	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak Cookoff Challenge Omaha, NE	32 / 34 (615.4052)	33 (154.8340)	33 (141.7144)	26 (161.1312)	26 (157.7256)
Aug 24, 2018	East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival Paola, KS	29 / 67 (658.7772)	28 (162.8344)	15 (171.4172)	30 (163.9656)	32 (160.5600)
Jul 13, 2018	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	46 / 48 (617.5424)	47 (149.1084)	47 (143.3716)	42 (160.5140)	22 (164.5484)

SHIRTS ON FIRE BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

A June team

The metronome

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)