Hot Rod's BBQ

Hot Rod's BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 42 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2020. Their best overall finish is 4th of 42 at the Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship (2018). They are ranked #2623 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Hot Rods BBQ”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,623

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1516

peak 1533 · rated over 42 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jul 12, 2013

latest Jul 31, 2020 · 7.1 years on the trail

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

7 podiums

Overall top-10s

10% of 42 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 57%

overall standings

Best overall

670.8344 / 720

Master · Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

651.07 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 631.07 (+20.00)

Walk rate

40%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176

Chicken · Separation Colonial BBQ Competition

Consistency

±22.90

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 161.55 · weakest Brisket (156.38)

Road miles

3,902

across 42 mapped stops · furthest 133 mi

Schedule strength

46%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1559)

Purse competed for

$98K

listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 12 state-championship entries

Master avg

631.07 / 720

42 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (11 found in their record)

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

Happy hunting ground

Top 19% average finish here

Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship is their spot: an average finish in the top 19% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 4th
average top 19%

High-water mark

670.8344 career-best overall

93.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 670.8344 at Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship — 93.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 5, 2018

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

HERDER HERDER BBQ has finished one call ahead of Hot Rod's BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2019 their best year

2019 was the year it came together: 9 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 42%.

9 contests
3 overall top-10s
1 category win
average top 42%

A tough matchup

26–6 behind in the head-to-head

Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit ahead in 81% of their meetings

Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit has come out ahead in 26 of their 32 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.2 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.18 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 17% of the time against 17%.

Brisket avg 156.38
Chicken avg 161.55
7 calls in 42 entries

A strong matchup

11–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 92% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Fire Ants BBQ in 11 of their 12 shared contests.

Show 4 more storylines

Chicken nemesis

22 of 32 shared chicken entries lost

Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit ahead 69% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit has out-cooked them in 22 of 32 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Tom Tom Bob A Que has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The long haul

3,902 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,902 miles across 42 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 133 miles to Hudson Valley Ribfest.

42 mapped stops
furthest 133 mi

A standing appointment

7 years running at one contest

They've cooked New Jersey State Barbecue Championship every year from 2013 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

7 visits in all
best finish 14th

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Hot Rod's BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

BLUE EYED BBQ

#2,624 of the rated field

1516 power rating

Contests: 85
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1526

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Hot Rod's BBQ)

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

rated over 84 contests
last seen Oct 16, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

CHOKIN ON SMOKE

#2,641 of the rated field

1515 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1530

1–4 in 5 shared contests (20% to Hot Rod's BBQ)

Fewer contests behind them than Hot Rod's BBQ has cooked, 12 to 42, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Jul 26, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

PASSIONS OF THE PIT

#2,635 of the rated field

1516 power rating

Contests: 44
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 2%
Peak: 1571

They've been 1571 at their best, 55 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 44 contests
last seen Sep 27, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

LEEPS BBQ

#2,618 of the rated field

1516 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1541

29 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 14% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 29 contests
last seen May 11, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

MYA&DJ'S BBQ

#2,625 of the rated field

1516 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1516

Level with Hot Rod's BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Aug 7, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

ROADKILL BBQ

#2,638 of the rated field

1515 power rating

Contests: 74
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1515

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 69 contests
last seen Oct 9, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	32	6	26	19%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' TEX BBQ	27	6	21	22%	⚔ compare
Top Gun Barbecue	23	6	17	26%	⚔ compare
SMOKOPOLIS BBQ	23	4	19	17%	⚔ compare
Chicken Chokers	23	2	21	9%	⚔ compare
Dr. Pearl's Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team	22	0	22	0%	⚔ compare
MOON RIVER BARBEQUE	21	7	14	33%	⚔ compare
RIBS WITHIN	21	4	17	19%	⚔ compare
SIR-PORK'S-ALOT BBQ	20	6	14	30%	⚔ compare
LOCAL SMOKE BBQ	20	3	17	15%	⚔ compare
BEERBEQUE	20	1	19	5%	⚔ compare
THE BBQ GURU	18	3	15	17%	⚔ compare
BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT	17	9	8	53%	⚔ compare
SHADY CREW	17	5	12	29%	⚔ compare
POPPA Q-BBQ	17	3	14	18%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	42	7	1	3	176	146.8000	161.55	top 49%
Pork Ribs	42	5	0	2	172.6060	139.3828	156.45	top 59%
Pork	42	3	0	1	171.4400	141.6228	156.69	top 60%
Brisket	42	7	0	1	174.8572	129.5772	156.38	top 53%

“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)	10	0	top 65%
Large (40+)	32	0	top 55%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
NJ	25	top 58%
PA	8	top 49%
NY	4	top 66%
CT	4	top 68%
DE	1	top 25%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	7	14	top 44%	Jul 12, 2019
Que by the Sea	5	20	top 61%	Sep 22, 2017
Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival	4	11	top 68%	May 4, 2019
Smoke in the Grove	3	28	top 60%	Jul 24, 2020
Hudson Valley Ribfest	3	22	top 68%	Aug 16, 2019
Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship	2	4	top 19%	Oct 4, 2019
New Jersey KnoQ-out CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES	2	22	top 68%	Apr 27, 2019
Que for the Troops	2	32	top 67%	Jun 1, 2018
Red, White and Que	2	18	top 68%	Sep 30, 2017
DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship	2	35	top 66%	Oct 3, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 9 contests

Contests a season 5.3 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NJ 25 of 42 contests · 5 states in all

Contests visited 20 10 of them more than once

Opponents faced 645 finished ahead 908 times, behind 1,207

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

20201 milestone

Jul 31 Most recent contest New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES

20193 milestones

Jun 7 First category win (Chicken) Separation Colonial BBQ Competition
Jun 7 Career-best single call (Chicken)176 Separation Colonial BBQ Competition
Oct 4 Peak power rating (1533) Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship

20184 milestones

May 5 First overall past 90% of a perfect score661.0860 Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival
May 5 25th tracked contest Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival
Oct 5 First overall top-10 Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship
Oct 5 Career-best overall score670.8344 Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship

20151 milestone

Oct 9 10th tracked contest Smokin Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship $15,000

20141 milestone

Jul 11 First call New Jersey State Barbecue Championship

20131 milestone

Jul 12 First tracked contest New Jersey State Barbecue Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.8	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship	Oct 5, 2018
+16.1	Mid Atlantic BBQ Expo	Mar 8, 2019
+13.4	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival	May 5, 2018
+11.6	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	Jul 14, 2018
+9.9	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship	Oct 4, 2019

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.3	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival	Apr 30, 2016
-9.6	Smoke in the Grove	Jul 24, 2020
-9.5	Hudson Valley Ribfest	Aug 19, 2016
-7.5	DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship	Oct 5, 2013
-7.1	Que for the Troops	Jun 2, 2017

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2020	3	0	0	33%	top 76%	90.1%	89.7%
2019	9	3	1	67%	top 42%	93.1%	91%
2018	7	1	0	86%	top 46%	93.2%	89.5%
2017	6	0	0	0%	top 72%	88.9%	85.9%
2016	7	0	0	43%	top 62%	89.3%	86.1%
2015	4	0	0	0%	top 60%	87.2%	86%
2014	3	0	0	33%	top 57%	86%	85.4%
2013	3	0	0	0%	top 66%	83%	82.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jul 31, 2020	New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Blairstown, NJ	26 / 35 (649.0288)	5 (173.7028)	34 (154.8344)	25 (162.2516)	27 (158.2400)
Jul 31, 2020	New Jersey KnoQ-out: DAY 2-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Blairstown, NJ	23 / 28 (648.4112)	11 (171.4172)	13 (167.4172)	27 (149.0512)	23 (160.5256)
Jul 24, 2020	Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	43 / 59 (640.9828)	49 (157.6684)	36 (161.1200)	55 (155.3600)	23 (166.8344)
Oct 4, 2019	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA	10 / 36 (663.9088)	24 (158.2516)	6 (168.5600)	14 (167.9772)	8 (169.1200)
Aug 16, 2019	Hudson Valley Ribfest 🏅 New Paltz, NY	22 / 53 (653.0288)	21 (166.2400)	17 (165.7488)	30 (160.5372)	21 (160.5028)
Jul 26, 2019	Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	30 / 53 (650.1368)	15 (169.6800)	51 (146.2168)	36 (159.3828)	2 (174.8572)
Jul 12, 2019	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ	19 / 64 (653.0400)	32 (161.0856)	22 (160.5600)	31 (163.4172)	11 (167.9772)
Jun 7, 2019	Separation Colonial BBQ Competition 🏅 New Castle, DE	9 / 36 (670.2056)	1 (176)	20 (159.9772)	21 (161.0856)	4 (173.1428)
May 4, 2019	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival 🏅 Ridgefield, CT	20 / 29 (643.2684)	16 (165.6800)	11 (165.7028)	25 (149.0628)	14 (162.8228)
Apr 27, 2019	New Jersey KnoQ-out CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Blairstown, NJ	22 / 43 (647.3372)	24 (162.8000)	26 (158.8456)	29 (155.4172)	6 (170.2744)
Apr 5, 2019	NYC BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Staten Island, NY	16 / 26 (646.0912)	7 (168.5372)	7 (164.5828)	11 (165.0856)	21 (147.8856)
Mar 8, 2019	Mid Atlantic BBQ Expo Atlantic City, NJ	8 / 66 (667.3712)	25 (164)	5 (171.4400)	16 (168.5484)	32 (163.3828)
Oct 5, 2018	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA	4 / 42 (670.8344)	2 (175.4400)	2 (172.0344)	9 (167.4172)	34 (155.9428)
Aug 17, 2018	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	41 / 58 (631.2344)	32 (162.8344)	45 (156.5144)	44 (155.3828)	36 (156.5028)
Jul 27, 2018	Smoke in the Grove Spring Grove, PA	28 / 54 (646.1140)	47 (151.3828)	34 (161.0856)	21 (163.9428)	8 (169.7028)
Jul 14, 2018	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	14 / 64 (642.1144)	13 (165.7144)	47 (150.2288)	31 (159.9312)	10 (166.2400)
Jun 1, 2018	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	32 / 61 (640.9716)	27 (163.9656)	40 (155.3944)	49 (153.0744)	10 (168.5372)
May 5, 2018	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	11 / 40 (661.0860)	3 (174.8572)	16 (162.3200)	12 (167.3944)	23 (156.5144)
Apr 28, 2018	New Jersey KnoQ-out-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Blairstown, NJ	34 / 40 (619.1996)	5 (171.4056)	27 (159.4172)	40 (142.1596)	36 (146.2172)
Sep 30, 2017	Red, White and Que Cresskill, NJ	18 / 31 (639.9428)	17 (164.6056)	22 (157.1200)	24 (155.3828)	15 (162.8344)
Sep 22, 2017	Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ	33 / 43 (623.2572)	30 (160.5484)	28 (157.6916)	27 (157.0972)	35 (147.9200)
Sep 15, 2017	Smoke on the Water New Jersey State Barbecue Championship Atlantic City, NJ	33 / 42 (619.2228)	31 (155.9884)	37 (153.0744)	32 (155.9312)	29 (154.2288)
Jul 7, 2017	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	40 / 67 (612.3200)	28 (161.6684)	46 (149.0972)	56 (143.3372)	23 (158.2172)
Jun 2, 2017	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	51 / 63 (613.5088)	54 (151.9200)	50 (153.7144)	48 (152.5144)	40 (155.3600)
May 6, 2017	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	29 / 38 (604.4232)	14 (159.9772)	32 (147.3944)	29 (147.3944)	25 (149.6572)
Oct 8, 2016	Smoke on the Water Barbecue Championship Atlantic City, NJ	38 / 48 (628.3884)	14 (168.5600)	39 (152.4800)	43 (153.1084)	40 (154.2400)
Sep 24, 2016	Red White and Que Cresskill, NJ	18 / 41 (643.3140)	5 (170.2628)	23 (155.9656)	16 (162.8456)	24 (154.2400)
Sep 17, 2016	Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ	20 / 44 (631.8632)	25 (159.9428)	3 (172.6060)	24 (157.6572)	35 (141.6572)
Aug 19, 2016	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	47 / 52 (597.5088)	45 (154.2400)	47 (148.5488)	40 (147.9428)	45 (146.7772)
Jul 8, 2016	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	25 / 65 (628.4000)	42 (153.0744)	44 (149.7028)	7 (164.5372)	20 (161.0856)
Jun 3, 2016	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	27 / 67 (639.2340)	60 (150.7540)	33 (161.0856)	28 (160.5372)	16 (166.8572)
Apr 30, 2016	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	38 / 39 (570.0800)	35 (146.8000)	38 (139.3828)	27 (152.5372)	39 (131.3600)
Oct 9, 2015	Smokin Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship $15,000 Atlantic City, NJ	25 / 46 (627.9088)	22 (161.7144)	13 (163.9772)	45 (142.2172)	15 (160)
Sep 26, 2015	Red, White and Que Cresskill, NJ	27 / 35 (602.0800)	26 (153.6572)	31 (143.9428)	18 (157.1200)	22 (147.3600)
Sep 19, 2015	Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ	20 / 41 (627.3600)	31 (153.1200)	14 (162.2744)	17 (161.6684)	25 (150.2972)
Jul 10, 2015	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	39 / 65 (620.4232)	19 (164.0116)	22 (164.0116)	16 (162.8228)	63 (129.5772)
Oct 3, 2014	DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship Atlantic City, NJ	35 / 65 (619.4060)	20 (162.3088)	46 (147.3944)	37 (155.9656)	31 (153.7372)
Sep 20, 2014	Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ	35 / 48 (609.0512)	22 (158.2856)	35 (148.5144)	25 (156.5712)	35 (145.6800)
Jul 11, 2014	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	28 / 65 (616.5028)	44 (150.8456)	45 (148)	3 (171.4400)	45 (146.2172)
Oct 5, 2013	DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship Atlantic City, NJ	66 / 85 (593.6576)	40 (158.2744)	74 (140.5716)	69 (145.1200)	49 (149.6916)
Sep 21, 2013	Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ	30 / 49 (597.5084)	25 (153.1540)	33 (143.3372)	32 (149.0628)	20 (151.9544)
Jul 12, 2013	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	38 / 65 (595.2920)	35 (150.8572)	33 (149.1316)	55 (141.6228)	26 (153.6804)

Hot Rod's BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

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 (11 found in their record)

Happy hunting ground

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

The long haul

A standing appointment

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)