BURNIN' SANDS BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#2911

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1507

peak 1515 · rated over 40 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2018-05-25

latest 2026-03-13

Best ToY finish

#236

Master 2023

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

11 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 41 contests

Avg finish

top 64%

overall standings

Best overall

697.1088 / 720

Master · Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off

Perfect 180s

3 🔥

Current form

682.19 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 657.30 (+24.89)

Walk rate

56%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Chicken · Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off

Consistency

±46.34

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 170.01 · weakest Brisket (162.48)

Road miles

5,555

mi across 41 mapped stops · furthest 296 mi

Schedule strength

80%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1603)

Purse competed for

$422K

listed at 31 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 34 state-championship entries

Master avg

657.30 / 720

41 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (14 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

The heartbreaker

1.6912 points from the title

Came within 1.6912 points of the Grand Championship at Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off (2024-09-20).

Perfect scores on the board

3 perfect 180s

3 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.

Chicken ×3

High-water mark

697.1088 career-best overall

96.8% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 697.1088 at Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off — 96.8% of a perfect 720.

Master
2024-09-20

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

HOLLOW Q has finished one call ahead of BURNIN' SANDS BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2023 their best year

2023 was the year it came together: 8 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 52%.

8 contests
2 overall top-10s
1 category wins
average top 52%

A tough matchup

30–3 behind in the head-to-head

Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ ahead in 91% of their meetings

Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ has come out ahead in 30 of their 33 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.5 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.53 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 20% of the time against 43%.

Brisket avg 162.48
Chicken avg 170.01
8 calls in 41 entries

A strong matchup

6–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of TRIANGLE S BAR B Q in 6 of their 8 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

22 of 32 shared chicken entries lost

Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ ahead 69% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ has out-cooked them in 22 of 32 shared chicken entries.

They cook the hard rooms

1603 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 80% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1603 power rating — a tougher draw than 80% of every rated contest in the data.

40 rated contests

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Smoked & Furious has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 50% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 50% across 8 contests, versus top 64% the rest of the year.

8 September contests
top 64% the rest of the year

The long haul

5,555 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,555 miles across 41 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 296 miles to Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB.

41 mapped stops
furthest 296 mi

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off every year from 2022 to 2025 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 2nd

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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.

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

Frank's BBQ Trading Post

#2909 of the rated field

1508 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 53
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1552

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to BURNIN' SANDS BBQ)

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

rated over 52 contests
last seen 2026-07-24

⚔ Head-to-head

At Ease

#2910 of the rated field

1507 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1507

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BURNIN' SANDS BBQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 27 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 27 contests
last seen 2026-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

OWENSBORO PORK PULLERS

#2920 of the rated field

1507 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 42
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1527

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 42 contests to 41, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 42 contests
last seen 2025-09-19

⚔ Head-to-head

Hot Rod's BBQ

#2904 of the rated field

1508 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 3%
Peak: 1508

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before BURNIN' SANDS BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 30 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

RUB WON OUT

#2927 of the rated field

1507 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1540

No shared contest yet.

24 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 4% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2019-08-23

⚔ Head-to-head

BBQ Bonanza

#2921 of the rated field

1507 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1526

No shared contest yet.

They were already cooking in 2013, 5 years before BURNIN' SANDS BBQ's first contest.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2024-04-05

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ	33	3	30	9%	⚔ compare
HOLLOW Q	29	11	18	38%	⚔ compare
BUTCHER BBQ	25	6	19	24%	⚔ compare
CEO BBQ	22	6	16	27%	⚔ compare
Three Hog Night Smokers	21	3	18	14%	⚔ compare
BUFFALO'S BBQ	21	1	20	5%	⚔ compare
DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK	20	2	18	10%	⚔ compare
SUPER SWINE	19	3	16	16%	⚔ compare
Smoked & Furious	18	5	13	28%	⚔ compare
WOOD HOOK BBQ	18	1	17	6%	⚔ compare
4 LEGS UP BBQ	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
Fine As* Swine BBQ	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN DAN	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
BULL IN THE RING	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
MAN MEAT BBQ	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	40	17	2	5	180.0000 🔥	152.5372	170.01	top 48%
Pork Ribs	40	16	0	3	177.1544	152.5140	167.88	top 53%
Pork	41	7	0	3	177.7028	147.4172	165.17	top 65%
Brisket	41	8	0	0	173.1084	129.7028	162.48	top 66%

“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	Avg finish
OK	29	top 65%
KS	10	top 61%
AR	2	top 60%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	5	top 69%
Medium (20–39)	24	top 63%
Large (40+)	12	top 64%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off	4	2	top 34%	2025-09-19
Beats, Brews, & BBQ	3	10	top 68%	2022-04-01
Lake Views & BBQ	2	12	top 65%	2024-04-05
Harper County Bullseye BBQ	2	14	top 86%	2021-10-15
Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1	2	44	top 87%	2021-03-19
Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off	2	17	top 80%	2019-09-20

The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 7.8 yrs 2018-05-25 → 2026-03-13

Busiest season 2023 8 contests

Contests a season 4.6 across 9 seasons in the data

Cooks most in OK 29 of 41 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 32 6 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork 41 entries · 0 wins · 7 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 170.01 · weakest Brisket (162.48)

Walk rate 56% a top-10 call in 23 of 41 contests

Overall top-10 rate 15% 6 of 41 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 657.30 out of 720 · 41 contests · 0 GCs

Perfect 180s 3 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 776 642–1,006 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 5,555 41 mapped stops · furthest 296 mi

Schedule strength 1603 average field rating faced — tougher than 80% of rated contests

Purse competed for $421,990 listed at 31 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 34 state-championship entries

Power rating 1507 peak 1515 · #2911 of 6,413 rated

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

2018
May 25 First tracked contest Burnt Ends Oklahoma Barbeque Championship
May 25 First call Burnt Ends Oklahoma Barbeque Championship
2019
Jun 22 First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.1660 Festival of the Pig - Oklahoma BBQ Championship
2020
Aug 7 10th tracked contest 15th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ
2021
May 7 First category win (Chicken) Bixby Rotary BBQ'N Blues Festival
May 7 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Bixby Rotary BBQ'N Blues Festival
Jun 11 First overall top-10 Beats, Brews, & BBQ
2023
Jul 28 25th tracked contest Smokin on the Route
Sep 15 First overall podium Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off
2024
Sep 20 First Reserve Championship Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off
Sep 20 Career-best overall score697.1088 Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off
2025
Sep 12 Peak power rating (1515) Grillstock
2026
Mar 13 Most recent contest University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+18.9	Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off	2023-09-15
+16	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship	2023-06-23
+16	Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off	2024-09-20
+10.7	OKC BBQ Fest	2022-10-21
+10.4	Beats, Brews, & BBQ	2021-06-11

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.1	*Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off	2018-09-21
-8.5	Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1	2019-03-22
-8.2	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	2020-07-10
-7.5	16th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ	2021-04-23
-7.3	Beats, Brews, & BBQ	2019-06-07

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	0	0%	top 84%	92.4%	92.4%
2025	3	2	0	67%	top 57%	96%	94.9%
2024	7	1	0	57%	top 56%	96.8%	94.8%
2023	8	2	1	100%	top 52%	96.3%	94.6%
2022	5	0	0	60%	top 52%	95.7%	93.4%
2021	7	1	1	57%	top 66%	94.4%	89.5%
2020	2	0	0	0%	top 94%	87.6%	86.3%
2019	6	0	0	17%	top 82%	91.1%	87.3%
2018	2	0	0	50%	top 85%	89.1%	77.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026-03-13	University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest 🏅 Fayetteville, AR	31 / 37 (664.9828)	25 (171.9772)	30 (163.9772)	32 (163.9428)	30 (165.0856)
2025-10-17	Balloons and Barbeque 🏅 Poteau, OK	9 / 15 (682.7656)	6 (173.7028)	10 (172.5716)	10 (165.0856)	7 (171.4056)
2025-09-19	Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off 🏅 Ponca City, OK	18 / 25 (674.7544)	19 (165.1200)	15 (170.8344)	20 (169.1200)	16 (169.6800)
2025-09-12	Grillstock 🏅 Moore, OK	9 / 23 (691.3484)	6 (174.2628)	9 (171.9772)	10 (173.1428)	9 (171.9656)
2024-09-20	Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off 🏅 Ponca City, OK	2 / 26 (697.1088)	9 (171.9772)	2 (177.1544)	3 (177.1544)	7 (170.8228)
2024-09-13	Grillstock BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Moore, OK	12 / 19 (686.2056)	11 (170.8228)	6 (176.0000)	13 (168.5600)	9 (170.8228)
2024-08-16	Sugar Creek Casino's Sweet & Smoky BBQ Competition 🏅 Hinton, OK	20 / 25 (670.1484)	19 (169.6684)	24 (165.0972)	22 (165.1200)	17 (170.2628)
2024-06-07	Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS	26 / 43 (677.0860)	19 (171.9772)	17 (170.8572)	35 (164.5600)	16 (169.6916)
2024-05-03	3rd Annual Alva Police Department Cars, Concerts and BBQ Contest 🏅 Alva, OK	15 / 20 (685.6344)	6 (177.7144)	7 (174.8572)	20 (162.8000)	10 (170.2628)
2024-04-05	Lake Views & BBQ 🏅 Wagoner, OK	12 / 21 (686.2056)	9 (172.5600)	19 (163.9772)	2 (177.7028)	10 (171.9656)
2024-03-15	6th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS	27 / 58 (675.9088)	24 (171.9772)	37 (167.4288)	16 (174.2744)	41 (162.2284)
2023-10-27	Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB 🏅 Pine Bluff, AR	18 / 49 (685.0856)	5 (177.1428)	28 (168.5716)	22 (171.4056)	26 (167.9656)
2023-10-06	Harper County Bullseye BBQ - Day 1 🏅 Harper, KS	7 / 11 (683.3372)	6 (173.7028)	5 (170.2744)	5 (171.9772)	8 (167.3828)
2023-09-15	Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off 🏅 Ponca City, OK	3 / 26 (693.6688)	2 (180.0000)	10 (170.2744)	6 (174.2744)	13 (169.1200)
2023-08-25	Keating Tractor Antique Tractor Show 🏅 Liberal, KS	13 / 19 (674.2284)	4 (176.5944)	6 (173.7028)	18 (156.5484)	12 (167.3828)
2023-08-04	Que' For a Cause Tahlequah, OK	29 / 36 (672.4800)	3 (177.7028)	9 (172.0000)	31 (163.9656)	35 (158.8116)
2023-07-28	Smokin on the Route 🏅 Miami, OK	22 / 29 (676.4568)	14 (170.8228)	7 (174.2856)	21 (169.6684)	25 (161.6800)
2023-06-23	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS	11 / 167 (686.2284)	1 (180.0000)	6 (176.5600)	99 (162.8456)	48 (166.8228)
2023-03-31	Lake Views & BBQ (formerly Beats, Brew & BBQ) 🏅 Wagoner, OK	21 / 29 (680.0116)	19 (170.2744)	10 (174.8572)	3 (174.8572)	27 (160.0228)
2022-10-21	OKC BBQ Fest 🏅 Oklahoma City, OK	12 / 35 (689.0396)	7 (176.5600)	19 (170.2628)	18 (169.1084)	10 (173.1084)
2022-09-16	Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off 🏅 Ponca City, OK	18 / 39 (673.5888)	12 (173.1200)	12 (169.1316)	33 (159.3600)	11 (171.9772)
2022-06-10	Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS	14 / 29 (667.3944)	2 (177.1544)	18 (165.6800)	21 (163.4400)	23 (161.1200)
2022-05-06	Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival 🏅 Bixby, OK	23 / 38 (661.5656)	21 (168.0000)	22 (165.0856)	26 (162.7884)	20 (165.6916)
2022-04-01	Beats, Brews, & BBQ 🏅 Wagoner, OK	21 / 30 (670.1716)	7 (175.4056)	23 (163.9660)	21 (166.8228)	23 (163.9772)
2021-11-11	3rd Annual KCBS World Invitational - Open unrated Shawnee, OK	67 / 111 (674.7428)	71 (167.3828)	88 (165.0972)	34 (173.1200)	52 (169.1428)
2021-10-15	Harper County Bullseye BBQ 🏅 Harper, KS	14 / 16 (669.6344)	6 (173.1200)	11 (170.2856)	14 (163.9544)	16 (162.2744)
2021-08-20	Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS	24 / 46 (660.4224)	30 (163.9540)	10 (169.1312)	20 (170.2628)	31 (157.0744)
2021-06-11	Beats, Brews, & BBQ 🏅 Wagoner, OK	10 / 25 (679.3256)	10 (171.4056)	2 (176.0000)	21 (164.5372)	12 (167.3828)
2021-05-07	Bixby Rotary BBQ'N Blues Festival 🏅 Bixby, OK	23 / 53 (675.3140)	1 (180.0000)	22 (170.8112)	24 (166.2628)	32 (158.2400)
2021-04-23	16th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK	40 / 41 (488.4684)	—	38 (155.3600)	26 (164.5256)	21 (168.5828)
2021-03-19	Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1 Shawnee, OK	44 / 56 (665.0400)	25 (171.9772)	25 (169.6684)	36 (166.8228)	51 (156.5716)
2020-08-07	15th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ 🏅 Enid, OK	49 / 54 (630.6852)	41 (161.7028)	50 (152.5140)	32 (164.5256)	47 (151.9428)
2020-07-10	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest 🏅 Mayetta, KS	59 / 61 (612.3888)	60 (152.5372)	55 (154.8344)	51 (160.5256)	60 (144.4916)
2019-10-18	Harper County Bullseye BBQ 🏅 Harper, KS	21 / 25 (655.8860)	21 (161.0856)	9 (169.1660)	15 (167.4172)	23 (158.2172)
2019-09-20	Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Ponca City, OK	17 / 28 (649.0976)	15 (165.1544)	12 (163.4288)	15 (165.6800)	20 (154.8344)
2019-06-22	Festival of the Pig - Oklahoma BBQ Championship 🏅 Oklahoma City, OK	20 / 27 (649.1660)	21 (162.8112)	21 (161.7716)	22 (157.1316)	12 (167.4516)
2019-06-07	Beats, Brews, & BBQ Wagoner, OK	20 / 21 (612.9252)	19 (157.1200)	17 (159.9428)	20 (150.8112)	20 (145.0512)
2019-04-26	14th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ 🏅 Enid, OK	33 / 39 (607.3716)	30 (158.8572)	29 (158.2856)	37 (147.4172)	37 (142.8116)
2019-03-22	Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1 🏅 Shawnee, OK	71 / 74 (597.0856)	57 (162.2972)	66 (154.2400)	71 (150.8456)	73 (129.7028)
2018-09-21	*Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off Ponca City, OK	29 / 29 (474.8000)	14 (163.9544)	—	22 (158.8228)	23 (152.0228)
2018-05-25	Burnt Ends Oklahoma Barbeque Championship Oklahoma City, OK	17 / 24 (641.5884)	20 (158.8344)	2 (175.4400)	22 (150.7884)	18 (156.5256)

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	#927 (60 pts)	#1010 (60 pts)	#1051 (60 pts)	#970 (60 pts)	#950 (60 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#522 (343 pts)	#527 (398 pts)	#593 (348 pts)	#576 (313 pts)	#514 (373 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#286 (761 pts)	#301 (776 pts)	#290 (851 pts)	#254 (876 pts)	#293 (781 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#236 (899 pts)	#94 (1494 pts)	#197 (1114 pts)	#243 (904 pts)	#341 (639 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#412 (534 pts)	#279 (844 pts)	#490 (504 pts)	#512 (424 pts)	#429 (539 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#401 (476 pts)	#298 (686 pts)	#304 (691 pts)	#436 (436 pts)	#430 (461 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#655 (120 pts)	#696 (120 pts)	#701 (120 pts)	#706 (120 pts)	#681 (120 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#794 (371 pts)	#838 (381 pts)	#713 (471 pts)	#800 (401 pts)	#820 (386 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1430 (143 pts)	#1312 (183 pts)	#1139 (249 pts)	#1538 (133 pts)	#1488 (148 pts)