Castleton Q PA
Rating
1571
peak 1582 · rated over 39 contests
Best runs
3
straight top-10s
Contests
44
in the data
First seen
2022-10-14
latest 2026-07-25
Best ToY finish
#26
Backyard 2026
Grand champs
1
2 reserve
Category wins
1
8 podiums
Overall top-10s
11
of 44 contests
Avg finish
top 53%
overall standings
Best overall
677.0288 / 720
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
335.70 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 329.41 (+6.29)
Walk rate
55%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
3
best run (overall)
Consistency
±13.09
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 166.47 · weakest Brisket (153.86)
Road miles
3338
mi across 44 mapped stops · furthest 580 mi
Schedule strength
77%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1576)
Purse competed for
$218K
listed at 34 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
GCs in 36 state-championship entries
Master avg
669.00 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
329.41 / 360
37 Backyard contests · 1 GC
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ has finished one call ahead of Castleton Q 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
MRC_Barbecue has landed one call behind them 3 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
Capt. Blue BBQ has come out ahead in 25 of their 31 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ in 15 of their 18 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 2 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Finished level on points with the champion at BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (2026-03-28) — the Grand Championship went to the KCBS tiebreaker.
😤 Chicken nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, Leaning Jowler BBQ has out-cooked them in 25 of 33 shared chicken entries.
📅 A March team
Something about March: average finish in the top 33% across 6 contests, versus top 53% the rest of the year.
Teams like this (closest power rating, PA first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaning Jowler BBQ | 32 | 7 | 25 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| Capt. Blue BBQ | 31 | 6 | 25 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| FIRE & SHINE BBQ | 30 | 6 | 24 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Oink N' Doink BBQ | 30 | 5 | 25 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 28 | 6 | 22 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| All About the Wood | 26 | 11 | 15 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| Piggy & Swine BBQ | 25 | 11 | 13 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| 3 EYZ BBQ | 25 | 6 | 17 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | 25 | 4 | 20 | 16% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKECRAFT - MD | 22 | 5 | 15 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| Menke Boys BBQ | 20 | 12 | 8 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| HotMess BBQ | 20 | 4 | 14 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Estancia | 19 | 14 | 5 | 74% | ⚔ compare |
| BEER TIME BBQ | 19 | 10 | 9 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | 19 | 6 | 13 | 32% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 41 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 177.7028 | 146.2172 | 166.47 | top 49% |
| Pork Ribs | 42 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 179.4400 | 142.1712 | 163.52 | top 56% |
| Pork | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 169.6916 | 147.3600 | 160.25 | top 65% |
| Brisket | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163.9428 | 137.6800 | 153.86 | top 74% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA | 18 | 1 | top 61% |
| VA | 10 | 0 | top 37% |
| MD | 4 | 0 | top 77% |
| DE | 3 | 0 | top 35% |
| TN | 2 | 0 | top 66% |
| NJ | 2 | 0 | top 35% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 5 | 0 | top 70% |
| Medium (20–39) | 24 | 1 | top 53% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 47% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 7 | 8 | 0 | top 81% | 2026-06-13 |
| Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 6 | 12 | 0 | top 64% | 2026-07-25 |
| BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) | 6 | 2 | 0 | top 33% | 2026-03-28 |
| Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 11% | 2026-05-16 |
| MD State BBQ Bash | 2 | 20 | 0 | top 73% | 2025-10-10 |
| First State BBQ Bash (SUNDAY BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 33% | 2025-09-28 |
| Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 35% | 2024-10-19 |
| Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 32% | 2024-08-10 |
| Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 54% | 2024-04-20 |
| Maryland State BBQ Bash | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 81% | 2023-10-13 |
| Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 58% | 2023-07-29 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2024 (15 contests)
- Cooks mostly in PA (18 of 44 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (42 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) (2026-05-15)
- Wins it all in 2% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 669.00 / 720
- Average Backyard overall score: 329.41 / 360
Milestones
- 🚩 2022-10-14 — First tracked contest · Maryland State BBQ Bash
- 📣 2023-10-13 — First call · Maryland State BBQ Bash
- 🎖️ 2025-06-27 — 25th tracked contest · York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
- 🏆 2026-05-15 — First Grand Championship · Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1)
- 📈 2026-05-16 — Peak power rating (1582) · Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2)
- ⭐ 2026-05-23 — Career-best overall score (677.0288) · 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +19 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) | 2024-08-09 |
| +17.6 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) | 2026-03-28 |
| +15.6 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) | 2026-05-15 |
| +15.3 | First State BBQ Bash (SUNDAY BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-09-28 |
| +12.5 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) | 2024-04-20 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.8 | Maryland State BBQ Bash | 2022-10-14 |
| -11.3 | York County BBQ Festival | 2023-06-16 |
| -10.7 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | 2024-07-26 |
| -10.1 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 2025-06-28 |
| -8.5 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | 2025-07-25 |
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 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 58% | top 42% | 97.1% | 94.1% |
| 2025 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50% | top 59% | 95.4% | 92.6% |
| 2024 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 67% | top 51% | 97.3% | 91.3% |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25% | top 63% | 90.6% | 86.5% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 113% | 81.2% | 81.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-25 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 24 / 39 (330.1944) | 19 (168.5256) | 26 (161.6688) | — | — |
| 2026-07-24 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 13 / 43 (340.5028) | 5 (176.5600) | 25 (163.9428) | — | — |
| 2026-06-13 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 8 / 13 (343.9428) | 8 (173.1200) | 9 (170.8228) | — | — |
| 2026-06-12 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 17 / 25 (334.7652) | 11 (169.1084) | 17 (165.6568) | — | — |
| 2026-05-24 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) Lebanon, TN | 44 / 82 (329.0744) | 45 (163.3828) | 39 (165.6916) | — | — |
| 2026-05-23 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) Lebanon, TN | 92 / 117 (677.0288) | 82 (170.2628) | 44 (173.1316) | 68 (169.6916) | 106 (163.9428) |
| 2026-05-16 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 3 / 17 (343.9544) | 4 (176.5716) | 11 (167.3828) | — | — |
| 2026-05-15 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 1 / 25 (349.6684) | 5 (175.4056) | 2 (174.2628) | — | — |
| 2026-03-28 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 2 / 36 (349.1200) | 2 (177.7028) | 5 (171.4172) | — | — |
| 2026-03-27 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Urbanna, VA | — | 16 (169.7028) | — | — | — |
| 2026-03-27 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 17 / 40 (328.5256) | 19 (158.8228) | 7 (169.7028) | — | — |
| 2026-03-27 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT RIBS) Urbanna, VA | — | — | 10 (170.2744) | — | — |
| 2025-10-10 | MD State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 20 / 29 (660.9716) | 14 (171.9772) | 18 (165.0972) | 22 (163.9428) | 21 (159.9544) |
| 2025-09-28 | First State BBQ Bash (SUNDAY BACKYARD ONLY) Milford, DE | 3 / 14 (343.3828) | 3 (173.7144) | 5 (169.6684) | — | — |
| 2025-09-26 | First State BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 11 / 25 (329.6916) | 11 (162.8572) | 8 (166.8344) | — | — |
| 2025-09-26 | First State BBQ Bash (ONE MEAT RIBS) Milford, DE | — | — | 12 (158.2628) | — | — |
| 2025-07-26 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 12 / 27 (337.6456) | 20 (166.2284) | 7 (171.4172) | — | — |
| 2025-07-25 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 27 / 30 (328.5372) | 24 (165.1200) | 26 (163.4172) | — | — |
| 2025-06-28 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 17 / 10 (318.2284) | 16 (159.4056) | 19 (158.8228) | — | — |
| 2025-06-27 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 8 / 26 (337.0744) | 7 (173.1316) | 11 (163.9428) | — | — |
| 2025-03-22 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 15 / 43 (341.0972) | 4 (176.0000) | 21 (165.0972) | — | — |
| 2025-03-21 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Urbanna, VA | — | 17 (165.6800) | — | — | — |
| 2025-03-21 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 13 / 45 (332.5144) | 4 (173.7144) | 23 (158.8000) | — | — |
| 2025-03-21 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT RIBS) Urbanna, VA | — | — | 16 (160.5144) | — | — |
| 2024-10-19 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Columbia, NJ | 8 / 26 (339.9544) | 3 (175.4172) | 12 (164.5372) | — | — |
| 2024-10-18 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Columbia, NJ | 11 / 28 (329.6228) | 3 (173.7028) | 18 (155.9200) | — | — |
| 2024-10-11 | MD State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 20 / 26 (324.4684) | 14 (167.9656) | 25 (156.5028) | — | — |
| 2024-09-27 | "The First State" BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 10 / 26 (325.6916) | 10 (161.7028) | 8 (163.9888) | — | — |
| 2024-08-10 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) 🏅 Ashland, VA | 16 / 28 (325.0744) | 20 (155.9544) | 7 (169.1200) | 16 (162.8000) | — |
| 2024-08-09 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) 🏅 Ashland, VA | 2 / 27 (350.2628) | 9 (170.8228) | 1 (179.4400) | 18 (158.8460) | — |
| 2024-07-27 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 20 / 32 (319.9088) | 19 (161.6916) | 20 (158.2172) | — | — |
| 2024-07-26 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 33 / 35 (317.0400) | 37 (153.6572) | 24 (163.3828) | — | — |
| 2024-06-29 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 15 / 19 (332.5144) | 3 (173.1544) | 20 (159.3600) | — | — |
| 2024-06-28 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 20 / 29 (326.7772) | 12 (167.9772) | 25 (158.8000) | — | — |
| 2024-05-24 | Big Knob BBQ & Brew Fest 🏅 Rochester, PA | 3 / 23 (319.3828) | 4 (160.5256) | 5 (158.8572) | — | — |
| 2024-04-20 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 6 / 25 (344.5944) | 11 (170.2972) | 3 (174.2972) | 18 (147.3600) | — |
| 2024-04-19 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 21 / 25 (322.7772) | 22 (162.2628) | 19 (160.5144) | 24 (157.6572) | 15 (137.6800) |
| 2024-03-23 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 21 / 42 (322.2744) | 24 (151.9772) | 9 (170.2972) | 15 (163.9772) | — |
| 2024-03-22 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 15 / 45 (331.9544) | 22 (161.1200) | 7 (170.8344) | 25 (157.7028) | — |
| 2023-10-13 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 11 / 23 (326.3200) | 7 (165.7256) | 15 (160.5944) | — | — |
| 2023-07-29 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 22 / 40 (313.0856) | 22 (157.6800) | 21 (155.4056) | — | — |
| 2023-07-28 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 31 / 51 (307.3600) | 25 (163.9656) | 32 (143.3944) | — | — |
| 2023-06-16 | York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA | 26 / 29 (298.6968) | 23 (156.5256) | 28 (142.1712) | — | — |
| 2022-10-14 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD | 34 / 30 (292.4116) | 34 (146.2172) | 35 (146.1944) | — | — |
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 ↗ | Backyard | #26 (998 pts) | #32 (938 pts) | #47 (829 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #894 (60 pts) | #704 (157 pts) | #688 (186 pts) | #929 (60 pts) | #917 (60 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #76 (698 pts) | #56 (882 pts) | #92 (677 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #1082 (79 pts) | #772 (198 pts) | #658 (282 pts) | #1158 (69 pts) | #1133 (74 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #58 (865 pts) | #39 (974 pts) | #41 (957 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #167 (285 pts) | #190 (235 pts) | — | — |