SPEAKS FOR ITSELF BBQ NC
Rating
1508
peak 1528 · rated over 26 contests
Contests
26
in the data
First seen
2019-05-03
latest 2026-02-27
Best ToY finish
#178
Master 2020
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
5 podiums
Overall top-10s
3
of 26 contests
Avg finish
top 55%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
673.92 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 671.63 (+2.29)
Walk rate
69%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±13.73
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 170.79 · weakest Pork Ribs (165.57)
Road miles
2202
mi across 26 mapped stops · furthest 207 mi
Schedule strength
60%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1554)
Purse competed for
$184K
listed at 21 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 24 state-championship entries
Master avg
671.63 / 720
26 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
BARREL FEVER BBQ has finished one call ahead of SPEAKS FOR ITSELF BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
HOLT BROTHERS BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ has come out ahead in 19 of their 22 shared contests.
🔁 The comeback
Off the trail for 1.5 years, then back at Uniquely Union Festival (2025-09-05).
Teams like this (closest power rating, NC first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | 22 | 3 | 19 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | 20 | 6 | 14 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN SKULLIES | 19 | 3 | 16 | 16% | ⚔ compare |
| CREEKSIDE SMOKERS NC | 16 | 7 | 9 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| MCADOO HEIGHTS BBQ | 16 | 4 | 12 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| HOLT BROTHERS BBQ | 14 | 11 | 3 | 79% | ⚔ compare |
| BARREL FEVER BBQ | 14 | 9 | 5 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| Bald Hawg BBQ | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| HOGGY BOTTOM BOYS | 12 | 11 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKING STUDS BBQ | 12 | 11 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| JL Smokers | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| PIG ON FIRE | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Under the Radar | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 26 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 177.7144 | 155.9200 | 170.79 | top 42% |
| Pork Ribs | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 174.2744 | 148.5140 | 165.57 | top 64% |
| Pork | 26 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 174.2628 | 152.5028 | 167.06 | top 56% |
| Brisket | 26 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 178.8572 | 156.4912 | 168.21 | top 51% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC | 16 | 0 | top 56% |
| SC | 8 | 0 | top 56% |
| GA | 2 | 0 | top 48% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 19 | 0 | top 55% |
| Large (40+) | 7 | 0 | top 56% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Farms - King of the Farm | 2 | 21 | 0 | top 86% | 2026-02-27 |
| Jiggy With The Piggy | 2 | 25 | 0 | top 49% | 2022-05-13 |
| Sip & Swine BBQ Festival | 2 | 21 | 0 | top 48% | 2022-03-04 |
| Pigmaster's BBQ Challenge | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 20% | 2021-09-24 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2021 (6 contests)
- Cooks mostly in NC (16 of 26 contests)
- Most-entered category: Chicken (26 entries)
- Average Master overall score: 671.63 / 720
Milestones
- 🚩 2019-05-03 — First tracked contest · Jiggy With The Piggy
- 📣 2019-05-03 — First call · Jiggy With The Piggy
- ⭐ 2023-02-24 — Career-best overall score (689.0632) · Mission Farm's King of the Farm
- 📈 2023-04-07 — Peak power rating (1528) · Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition
- 🎖️ 2025-09-05 — 25th tracked contest · Uniquely Union Festival
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.3 | Pigmaster's BBQ Challenge | 2021-09-24 |
| +10.6 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pineridge | 2020-06-26 |
| +9.6 | Mission Farm's King of the Farm | 2023-02-24 |
| +9.1 | Pigmaster's BBQ Challenge | 2020-09-11 |
| +8 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Roebuck | 2020-08-28 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.6 | Butts and Beans BBQ Challenge | 2019-09-27 |
| -8.7 | Mission Farms - King of the Farm | 2026-02-27 |
| -8.5 | Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic | 2019-09-20 |
| -8.3 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival | 2021-03-05 |
| -6.4 | Mission Farms King of the Farm | 2024-02-23 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 91% | 92.7% | 92.7% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100% | top 76% | 92.1% | 92.1% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 81% | 93.1% | 93.1% |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75% | top 44% | 95.7% | 95.2% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 43% | 95.5% | 94.2% |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 83% | top 51% | 95.4% | 94% |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 80% | top 49% | 95.2% | 93.4% |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40% | top 66% | 92% | 90.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-27 | Mission Farms - King of the Farm 🏅 Iron Station, NC | 30 / 33 (667.2456) | 24 (169.6800) | 33 (161.6456) | 31 (165.0972) | 18 (170.8228) |
| 2025-09-05 | Uniquely Union Festival 🏅 Union, SC | 19 / 25 (663.3028) | 22 (155.9200) | 16 (167.4172) | 21 (162.8228) | 1 (177.1428) |
| 2024-02-23 | Mission Farms King of the Farm 🏅 Iron Station, NC | 21 / 26 (670.1488) | 24 (163.3944) | 9 (171.9888) | 16 (167.3828) | 20 (167.3828) |
| 2023-10-13 | Waxhaw Grill'n & Chill'n BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Waxhaw, NC | 11 / 25 (686.1828) | 10 (172.5484) | 12 (171.9772) | 13 (168.5372) | 7 (173.1200) |
| 2023-05-05 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 🏅 Kannapolis, NC | 20 / 35 (682.7196) | 19 (172.5484) | 28 (166.2400) | 18 (173.1200) | 19 (170.8112) |
| 2023-04-07 | Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC | 12 / 28 (683.3256) | 9 (174.2628) | 17 (169.6800) | 13 (171.9772) | 20 (167.4056) |
| 2023-02-24 | Mission Farm's King of the Farm 🏅 Iron Station, NC | 11 / 33 (689.0632) | 4 (176.5600) | 10 (174.2744) | 15 (169.6800) | 19 (168.5488) |
| 2022-07-07 | South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC | 41 / 92 (676.9940) | 52 (166.2284) | 58 (164.5256) | 25 (170.8228) | 11 (175.4172) |
| 2022-05-13 | Jiggy With The Piggy 🏅 Kannapolis, NC | 26 / 46 (669.0284) | 11 (175.4056) | 34 (160.5372) | 8 (174.2628) | 37 (158.8228) |
| 2022-03-04 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 21 / 73 (687.9312) | 37 (169.6684) | 33 (170.8572) | 37 (168.5484) | 2 (178.8572) |
| 2021-10-30 | Shelby's BBQ Extravaganza Day 2 🏅 Shelby, NC | 13 / 27 (685.6112) | 5 (175.4172) | 20 (168.5256) | 15 (171.4056) | 16 (170.2628) |
| 2021-10-29 | Shelby's BBQ Extravaganza Day 1 🏅 Shelby, NC | 24 / 33 (671.3024) | 8 (173.1428) | 26 (163.3712) | 12 (171.9656) | 25 (162.8228) |
| 2021-09-24 | Pigmaster's BBQ Challenge 🏅 Rutherford College, NC | 3 / 27 (686.7424) | 10 (172.5484) | 8 (170.8228) | 7 (172.5600) | 9 (170.8112) |
| 2021-06-11 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Roebuck 🏅 Roebuck, SC | 11 / 28 (685.6112) | 4 (177.1428) | 14 (169.1200) | 11 (171.9656) | 20 (167.3828) |
| 2021-04-16 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pine Ridge 🏅 Roebuck, SC | 18 / 27 (675.2796) | 17 (171.9656) | 20 (169.1316) | 18 (167.9540) | 22 (166.2284) |
| 2021-03-05 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 55 / 81 (654.6052) | 46 (166.2284) | 66 (157.0628) | 76 (154.7540) | 4 (176.5600) |
| 2020-10-16 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Dorchester Shrine Club Summerville, SC | 19 / 24 (661.0628) | 10 (168.5600) | 16 (166.8344) | 10 (169.1200) | 24 (156.5484) |
| 2020-09-11 | Pigmaster's BBQ Challenge 🏅 Connelly Springs, NC | 7 / 24 (685.6688) | 3 (177.7144) | 16 (166.8344) | 18 (165.6800) | 5 (175.4400) |
| 2020-08-28 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Roebuck 🏅 Roebuck, SC | 12 / 34 (680.4688) | 4 (175.4172) | 7 (172.5716) | 22 (166.2400) | 19 (166.2400) |
| 2020-06-26 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pineridge 🏅 Roebuck, SC | 7 / 25 (681.6344) | 10 (169.1544) | 14 (166.2516) | 2 (174.2628) | 8 (171.9656) |
| 2020-03-13 | Speed & Feed BBQ Cook-Off & Car Show 🏅 Darlington, SC | 22 / 29 (655.2916) | 18 (168.5600) | 29 (154.2516) | 14 (166.2400) | 14 (166.2400) |
| 2019-11-08 | Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A) 🏅 Concord, NC | 34 / 47 (659.2684) | 39 (161.6456) | 22 (168.5600) | 24 (167.4172) | 36 (161.6456) |
| 2019-09-27 | Butts and Beans BBQ Challenge 🏅 Newton, NC | 32 / 37 (648.3996) | 13 (170.8456) | 27 (163.9772) | 33 (157.0856) | 34 (156.4912) |
| 2019-09-20 | Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic 🏅 Salisbury, NC | 44 / 56 (642.6396) | 21 (168.5600) | 52 (156.5028) | 53 (152.5028) | 32 (165.0740) |
| 2019-05-17 | Stills and Grills Fest North Wilkesboro, NC | 11 / 21 (650.7196) | 2 (175.4400) | 18 (148.5140) | 9 (165.0972) | 12 (161.6684) |
| 2019-05-03 | Jiggy With The Piggy 🏅 Kannapolis, NC | 25 / 60 (662.1484) | 10 (171.9656) | 33 (163.3828) | 50 (157.0972) | 12 (169.7028) |
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 | #492 (268 pts) | #631 (208 pts) | #617 (233 pts) | #654 (163 pts) | #570 (223 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1129 (71 pts) | #1539 (56 pts) | #961 (136 pts) | #1085 (96 pts) | #1137 (76 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #434 (451 pts) | #404 (561 pts) | #549 (401 pts) | #481 (426 pts) | #480 (411 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #775 (200 pts) | #723 (250 pts) | #912 (180 pts) | #686 (275 pts) | #498 (450 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #414 (445 pts) | #299 (685 pts) | #521 (380 pts) | #390 (495 pts) | #396 (510 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #178 (641 pts) | #138 (831 pts) | #206 (586 pts) | #163 (706 pts) | #176 (631 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1231 (180 pts) | #1046 (260 pts) | #1243 (195 pts) | #1289 (185 pts) | #1283 (180 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #416 (838 pts) | #223 (1268 pts) | #472 (783 pts) | #441 (823 pts) | #461 (793 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #663 (578 pts) | #488 (798 pts) | #651 (623 pts) | #740 (553 pts) | #768 (508 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1292 (221 pts) | #1360 (226 pts) | #1363 (226 pts) | #1183 (286 pts) | #1352 (226 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1125 (257 pts) | #1062 (307 pts) | #1308 (232 pts) | #1135 (292 pts) | #1179 (252 pts) |