They almost always walk
81%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 13 of 16 contests
A top-10 category call in 81% of their 16 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
Bubba's BBQ Nation
Bubba's BBQ Nation is a competition barbecue team with 16 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 4th of 39 at the Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest (2019). They are ranked #3283 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1499
peak 1526 · rated over 15 contests
Contests
16
in the data
First seen
Apr 5, 2013
latest Jun 12, 2026 · 13.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
4
25% of 16 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 54%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
662.27 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 654.50 (+7.77)
Walk rate
81%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±18.47
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 165.89 · weakest Brisket (160.71)
Road miles
1,536
across 16 mapped stops · furthest 412 mi
Schedule strength
29%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1539)
Purse competed for
$61K
listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 6 state-championship entries
Master avg
654.50 / 720
14 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
335.94 / 360
1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Bubba's BBQ Nation, each with one reason worth a look.
108 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3,267 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1499
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Bubba's BBQ Nation)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Bubba's BBQ Nation has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#3,278 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1499
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 15 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#3,268 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1505
Careers of much the same size, 14 contests to 16, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#3,264 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1509
12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 8% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#3,280 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1513
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Bubba's BBQ Nation's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#3,286 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1499
Level with Bubba's BBQ Nation on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMOKIN ELVISES | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| BUTCHER BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| RUBBING BUTTS BBQ KS | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BARREL BOYS BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| WICHITA SWINEMEN | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE N HOGS BBQ KS | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| GREAT PLAINS BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| ALWAYS SAUCED | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| POK N DA RIBS | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| ROUGHNECKS BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| JP CUSTOM SMOKE | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| NAUGHTY NURSES BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| IRON WHEEL COOKERS | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| WHISKEY PIT BBQ COMPANY | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 175.4288 | 155.4284 | 164.67 | top 50% |
| Pork Ribs | 16 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 173.1428 | 148.5716 | 163.99 | top 55% |
| Pork | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 174.2972 | 153.6228 | 165.89 | top 46% |
| Brisket | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 170.8570 | 144.5712 | 160.71 | top 57% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 56% |
| Medium (20–39) | 12 | 0 | top 57% |
| Large (40+) | 2 | 0 | top 38% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest | 3 | 4 | 0 | top 42% | Jun 9, 2023 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2013
8 contests
Contests a season
2.3
across 7 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
KS
13 of 16 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
13
1 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
16 entries · 0 wins · 4 calls
Opponents faced
372
finished ahead 265 times, behind 295
Longest layoff
4.7 yrs
Sep 12, 2014 → Jun 7, 2019
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest
20213 milestones
- Career-best overall score691.3832 Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest
- Career-best single call (Chicken)175.4288 Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest
- Peak power rating (1526) Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest
20191 milestone
- 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest
20134 milestones
- First tracked contest Stillwater Elks 25th Annual Blazathon
- First call Stillwater Elks 25th Annual Blazathon
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score652.5716 8th Annual Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ
- First overall top-10 Taste of Wheatstock
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13.5 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest | Jun 7, 2019 |
| +8.5 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest | Jun 11, 2021 |
| +7.2 | Boats, Bands and BBQ | Jun 7, 2013 |
| +4.8 | Stillwater Elks 25th Annual Blazathon | Apr 5, 2013 |
| +4.1 | Taste of Wheatstock | May 17, 2013 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.6 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest | Jun 9, 2023 |
| -11.3 | Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest | Jun 12, 2026 |
| -4.9 | R'Kansas City State BBQ Championship | Apr 26, 2013 |
| -4.6 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Sep 27, 2013 |
| -4.5 | Sand Creek Summer Daze Saucy & Glazed BBQ Competition | Jul 9, 2021 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 97% | 89.9% | 89.9% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 91% | 88.9% | 88.9% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 56% | 94.3% | 94.3% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 48% | 96% | 93.4% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 10% | 93.3% | 93.3% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 63% | 91.3% | 91.3% |
| 2013 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 88% | top 50% | 92% | 90.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 12, 2026 | Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 35 / 36 (647.2000) | 31 (166.2400) | 30 (165.0972) | 28 (165.0856) | 35 (150.7772) |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 29 / 32 (639.7828) | 21 (167.3828) | 27 (157.6800) | 29 (158.2172) | 28 (156.5028) |
| Apr 29, 2022 | Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin 🏅 Derby, KS | 9 / 16 (678.8228) | 5 (172.5600) | 7 (172.5828) | 9 (170.2628) | 10 (163.4172) |
| Apr 29, 2022 | Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin - One Meat Ribs Derby, KS | — | — | 9 (167.4172) | — | — |
| Jul 9, 2021 | Sand Creek Summer Daze Saucy & Glazed BBQ Competition 🏅 Newton, KS | 15 / 21 (654.1600) | 19 (157.1200) | 11 (165.6800) | 8 (170.8228) | 14 (160.5372) |
| Jun 11, 2021 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 7 / 28 (691.3832) | 10 (175.4288) | 9 (173.1200) | 6 (174.2972) | 18 (168.5372) |
| Jun 7, 2019 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 4 / 39 (335.9428) | 7 (162.8000) | 3 (173.1428) | — | — |
| Sep 12, 2014 | Derby BBQ Festival Derby, KS | 24 / 38 (657.5656) | 10 (170.2628) | 24 (161.1200) | 35 (157.0512) | 12 (169.1316) |
| Sep 27, 2013 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Overland Park, KS | 21 / 29 (662.1716) | 7 (171.9772) | 16 (166.8572) | 4 (173.1200) | 28 (150.2172) |
| Sep 6, 2013 | National Bar-B-Que Derby Derby, KS | 20 / 35 (642.7316) | 17 (162.8572) | 25 (156.5372) | 28 (153.6228) | 3 (169.7144) |
| Jun 7, 2013 | Boats, Bands and BBQ Pueblo, CO | 12 / 39 (658.8566) | 18 (163.9996) | 24 (158.8572) | 15 (165.1428) | 5 (170.8570) |
| May 31, 2013 | Valley Center Spring Fling Valley Center, KS | 20 / 34 (657.1424) | 29 (155.4284) | 19 (163.9998) | 5 (172) | 12 (165.7142) |
| May 17, 2013 | Taste of Wheatstock Abilene, KS | 10 / 25 (661.1430) | 14 (161.1428) | 14 (164) | 4 (171.4284) | 10 (164.5718) |
| Apr 26, 2013 | R'Kansas City State BBQ Championship Arkansas City, KS | 17 / 25 (652.5714) | 22 (161.1424) | 13 (166.2858) | 17 (161.1430) | 12 (164.0002) |
| Apr 19, 2013 | 8th Annual Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK | 25 / 63 (652.5716) | 21 (165.1428) | 26 (162.8572) | 9 (173.1430) | 45 (151.4286) |
| Apr 5, 2013 | Stillwater Elks 25th Annual Blazathon Stillwater, OK | 19 / 52 (606.8572) | 8 (156.5714) | 27 (148.5716) | 15 (157.1430) | 36 (144.5712) |