Perfect scores on the board
1
perfect 180
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.
- Pork ×1
BarrelHead Cookers
BarrelHead Cookers is a competition barbecue team with 38 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 72 at the Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship (2016). They are ranked #1068 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1597
peak 1606 · rated over 33 contests3 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
38
in the data
First seen
Mar 15, 2013
latest Nov 21, 2025 · 12.7 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
4
8 podiums
Overall top-10s
8
21% of 38 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 43%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
671.68 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 665.17 (+6.51)
Walk rate
53%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±15.85
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 168.27 · weakest Chicken (164.93)
Road miles
11,416
across 38 mapped stops · furthest 837 mi
Schedule strength
47%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1562)
Purse competed for
$253K
listed at 11 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 15 state-championship entries
Master avg
665.17 / 720
36 Master contests · 0 GCs
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) | #838 (120 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #875 (120 pts) | #879 (150 pts) | #1020 (120 pts) | #774 (180 pts) | #920 (120 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #294 (1,036 pts) | #380 (851 pts) | #210 (1,256 pts) | #81 (1,811 pts) | #275 (1,106 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to BarrelHead Cookers, each with one reason worth a look.
29 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,066 of the rated field
- Contests
- 49
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1649
1–4 in 5 shared contests (20% to BarrelHead Cookers)
These two have cooked 5 of the same contests — Sweet Swine O'Mine ahead 4–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,071 of the rated field
- Contests
- 55
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1603
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BarrelHead Cookers)
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 55 contests to 38.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,070 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1597
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 13 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,069 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 85%
- Peak
- 1597
Their rating is built on 3 Grand Championships in 13 contests, alongside a 85% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#1,067 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 55%
- Peak
- 1597
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 6 years before BarrelHead Cookers's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,075 of the rated field
- Contests
- 51
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1629
1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to BarrelHead Cookers)
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA PASADITA | 23 | 9 | 14 | 39% | ⚔ compare |
| KISS MY RACK | 21 | 7 | 14 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| BUTLER'S BACKDRAFT BBQ | 19 | 8 | 11 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| BUCKSHOT BBQ - TX | 19 | 4 | 15 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| BOOMERANG BBQ | 19 | 2 | 17 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| Rollin' Smoke BBQ Texas | 17 | 7 | 10 | 41% | ⚔ compare |
| THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | 16 | 2 | 14 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX | 16 | 2 | 14 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| HONKY-TONK SMOKERS | 15 | 5 | 10 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Rio Valley Meat BBQ | 15 | 1 | 14 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| 4 LEGS UP BBQ | 14 | 2 | 12 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| CLARK CREW BBQ | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | 12 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| SCOTTS BBQ SHACK | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 36 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 174.2744 | 145.6112 | 164.93 | top 53% |
| Pork Ribs | 36 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 177.7144 | 144.5714 | 166.19 | top 44% |
| Pork | 34 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 180 🔥 | 144.5256 | 168.27 | top 37% |
| Brisket | 36 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 175.4172 | 150.2172 | 165.36 | top 45% |
“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) | 15 | 0 | top 47% |
| Large (40+) | 21 | 0 | top 40% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship | 4 | 3 | 0 | top 34% | Aug 15, 2025 |
| Smokin On The Pecos (Day 2) | 4 | 13 | 0 | top 50% | Jun 29, 2019 |
| Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 2) | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 45% | May 11, 2019 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2019
10 contests
Contests a season
4.2
across 9 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TX
13 of 38 contests · 6 states in all
Contests visited
29
3 of them more than once
Opponents faced
2,147
finished ahead 2,670 times, behind 1,966
Longest layoff
3 yrs
Sep 12, 2019 → Sep 29, 2022
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20253 milestones
- Career-best overall score692.5492 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
- Peak power rating (1606) American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
- Most recent contest BBQ Jackpot
20191 milestone
- 25th tracked contest Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 2)
20171 milestone
- First perfect 180 (Pork) Smokin On The Pecos-Doubleheader-Day 1
20163 milestones
- First category win (Pork) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- 10th tracked contest 13th Annual Pork & Brew BBQ State Championship
- First overall podium Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship
20151 milestone
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score659.9776 Bynum Schools Best of the Basin BBQ Championship
20133 milestones
- First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship | Aug 26, 2016 |
| +13.4 | Bynum Schools Best of the Basin BBQ Championship | Apr 17, 2015 |
| +11.6 | The Wind Rider Music & BBQ Festival (WFC QUALIFIER) | May 26, 2017 |
| +10 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Nov 5, 2025 |
| +9.9 | 13th Annual Pork & Brew BBQ State Championship | Jul 2, 2016 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.3 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) | Apr 19, 2013 |
| -9.3 | BBQ Jackpot | Nov 21, 2025 |
| -8 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship | Aug 24, 2018 |
| -4.8 | Dodge City Days Smokin Saddles BBQ Competition | Jul 26, 2019 |
| -3.1 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST | Sep 12, 2019 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 47% | 96.2% | 93.9% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 66% | 93.8% | 92.4% |
| 2019 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 80% | top 37% | 95.9% | 93.8% |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 61% | 93.7% | 91.1% |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 67% | top 33% | 94.8% | 93.2% |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 80% | top 31% | 95.4% | 91.8% |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25% | top 46% | 91.7% | 91.2% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 65% | 89% | 89% |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 64% | 89.8% | 88.3% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 21, 2025 | BBQ Jackpot 🏅 Las Vegas, NV | 69 / 90 (667.8976) | 80 (162.8344) | 54 (168.5488) | 83 (161.0972) | 13 (175.4172) |
| 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 | 68 / 401 (692.5492) | 111 (173.7144) | 94 (173.7260) | 145 (171.9772) | 88 (173.1316) |
| Aug 15, 2025 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship 🏅 Lubbock, TX | 26 / 55 (666.7772) | 19 (171.4172) | 36 (163.3828) | 13 (173.1428) | 39 (158.8344) |
| 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 | 186 / 505 (675.3372) | 420 (159.3712) | 11 (177.7144) | 49 (176.0116) | 322 (162.2400) |
| Sep 29, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST unrated Kansas City, KS | 238 / 249 (655.8168) | 207 (166.2284) | 249 (149.0400) | 56 (174.8572) | 187 (165.6912) |
| Sep 12, 2019 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 165 / 468 (669.6912) | 132 (169.7028) | 12 (176.5828) | 392 (153.6684) | 119 (169.7372) |
| Sep 12, 2019 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 unrated Kansas City, KS | 37 / 135 (690.2512) | 76 (170.8456) | 93 (167.4056) | 8 (178.2972) | 38 (173.7028) |
| Aug 23, 2019 | Raider Red Meat BBQ & Ribeye Championship 🏅 Lubbock, TX | 11 / 62 (679.3368) | 39 (161.1084) | 5 (174.2628) | 16 (168.5600) | 2 (175.4056) |
| Jul 26, 2019 | Dodge City Days Smokin Saddles BBQ Competition 🏅 Dodge City, KS | 19 / 39 (670.1600) | 35 (149.6228) | 4 (173.7028) | 9 (173.7028) | 9 (173.1316) |
| Jun 29, 2019 | Smokin On The Pecos (Day 2) 🏅 Artesia, NM | 19 / 34 (670.7432) | 24 (162.8000) | 25 (164.5372) | — | 14 (169.6916) |
| Jun 28, 2019 | Smokin On The Pecos (Day 1) 🏅 Artesia, NM | 13 / 41 (679.9772) | 14 (168.5600) | 7 (173.7144) | — | 27 (159.9884) |
| May 11, 2019 | Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 2) 🏅 Plainview, TX | 10 / 21 (681.6112) | 4 (174.2744) | 14 (169.1200) | 1 (177.7028) | 20 (160.5140) |
| May 10, 2019 | Mark Marley's Go Big or Go Home BBQ Bash (DAY 1) 🏅 Plainview, TX | 16 / 38 (664.4344) | 22 (160.5028) | 17 (163.9544) | 4 (175.4172) | 16 (164.5600) |
| Apr 5, 2019 | Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Cedar Park, TX | 13 / 61 (670.7656) | 47 (154.1940) | 9 (172.5600) | 1 (178.2972) | 19 (165.7144) |
| Mar 15, 2019 | Mountain Smoke Barbecue Festival Day 2 🏅 Ruidoso, NM | 8 / 21 (674.2172) | 14 (166.2400) | 13 (167.9772) | 12 (169.1316) | 8 (170.8684) |
| Aug 24, 2018 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship Lubbock, TX | 38 / 54 (639.8624) | 19 (167.4512) | 41 (160.5600) | 37 (157.6456) | 42 (154.2056) |
| Jun 23, 2018 | Smokin On The Pecos (Day 2) Artesia, NM | 19 / 32 (674.7544) | 18 (170.8572) | 11 (171.9772) | 23 (166.2516) | 24 (165.6684) |
| Jun 22, 2018 | Smokin On The Pecos (Day 1) Artesia, NM | 21 / 39 (652.5488) | 36 (145.6112) | 9 (171.4860) | 14 (168.5716) | 14 (166.8800) |
| Sep 1, 2017 | 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 175 / 407 (666.2860) | 142 (169.7144) | 49 (173.1772) | 304 (159.9772) | 214 (163.4172) |
| Aug 25, 2017 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship Lubbock, TX | 7 / 44 (678.2628) | 16 (169.7028) | 9 (173.1428) | 12 (166.8228) | 11 (168.5944) |
| Jun 24, 2017 | Smokin On The Pecos-Doubleheader-Day 2 Artesia, NM | 15 / 37 (678.8344) | 12 (173.7144) | 20 (164) | 13 (172.5600) | 13 (168.5600) |
| Jun 23, 2017 | Smokin On The Pecos-Doubleheader-Day 1 Artesia, NM | 17 / 43 (661.0284) | 26 (161.6456) | 35 (151.4172) | 1 (180) | 16 (167.9656) |
| May 26, 2017 | The Wind Rider Music & BBQ Festival (WFC QUALIFIER) Ruidoso, NM | 6 / 36 (682.8460) | 9 (170.8572) | 2 (176) | 21 (163.4172) | 7 (172.5716) |
| Mar 10, 2017 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour White Settlement, TX | 12 / 30 (657.7148) | 6 (170.8572) | 17 (161.1888) | 8 (167.4172) | 20 (158.2516) |
| Oct 29, 2016 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 139 / 557 (670.2060) | 291 (163.9772) | 230 (166.8344) | 71 (172.5600) | 178 (166.8344) |
| Aug 26, 2016 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship Lubbock, TX | 3 / 72 (686.7884) | 10 (173.1200) | 20 (168.5484) | 3 (176.5600) | 19 (168.5600) |
| Jul 2, 2016 | 13th Annual Pork & Brew BBQ State Championship 🏅 Rio Rancho, NM | 8 / 31 (669.0512) | 11 (165.1200) | 5 (171.4056) | 14 (163.9656) | 4 (168.5600) |
| Apr 22, 2016 | Bynum School's Best of the Basin Midland, TX | 23 / 46 (630.1372) | 2 (173.7144) | 19 (161.6800) | 42 (144.5256) | 31 (150.2172) |
| Mar 11, 2016 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Fort Worth, TX | 14 / 29 (649.6228) | 12 (165.1544) | 25 (154.8112) | 1 (178.8572) | 26 (150.8000) |
| Oct 3, 2015 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO | 240 / 606 (659.4288) | 440 (158.2972) | 72 (172) | 403 (160) | 138 (169.1316) |
| Oct 2, 2015 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO | 155 / 187 (658.7772) | 148 (164.5828) | 134 (163.9772) | 138 (165.0972) | 136 (165.1200) |
| Aug 28, 2015 | Raider Red Meats BBQ and Ribeye Championship Lubbock, TX | 28 / 57 (648.5256) | 45 (155.3828) | 45 (154.8456) | 11 (170.2972) | 12 (168) |
| Apr 17, 2015 | Bynum Schools Best of the Basin BBQ Championship Midland, TX | 5 / 44 (659.9776) | 15 (162.2856) | 4 (168.0232) | 11 (166.2744) | 13 (163.3944) |
| Aug 1, 2014 | The SLV Beat the Heat BBQ, Brews and Chili Competition Alamosa, CO | 20 / 31 (640.4456) | 26 (161.6684) | 14 (161.7144) | 27 (154.8000) | 16 (162.2628) |
| Apr 19, 2013 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV | 28 / 30 (624.5716) | 19 (161.7144) | 29 (144.5714) | 4 (166.2858) | 27 (152) |
| Mar 15, 2013 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Albuquerque, NM | 7 / 20 (646.8572) | 13 (160.5714) | 12 (155.4288) | 6 (167.4284) | 5 (163.4286) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.