The heartbreaker
Tie
level with the champion
Finished level on points with the champion at BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Mar 28, 2026) — the Grand Championship went to the KCBS tiebreaker.
Castleton Q
Castleton Q is a competition barbecue team with 46 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2022 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) (2026), and finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #1088 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Castleton 'Q”, “Castleton'Q” and “Castleton Q'”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1596
peak 1596 · rated over 39 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
46
in the data
First seen
Oct 14, 2022
latest Sep 27, 2026 · 4 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
2 reserve · wins it all 2% of the time
Category wins
1
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
13
28% of 46 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 53%
overall standings
Best overall
677.0288 / 720
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
337.87 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 329.82 (+8.06)
Walk rate
57%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±12.87
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 166.78 · weakest Brisket (153.86)
Road miles
3,428
across 46 mapped stops · furthest 580 mi
Schedule strength
70%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1589)
Purse competed for
$224K
listed at 36 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 37 state-championship entries
Master avg
669.00 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
329.82 / 360
39 Backyard contests · 1 GC
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)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #32 (1,014 pts) | #27 (1,011 pts) | #56 (829 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #1020 (60 pts) | #808 (157 pts) | #780 (186 pts) | #1067 (60 pts) | #1051 (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) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Castleton Q, each with one reason worth a look.
34 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,083 of the rated field
- Contests
- 47
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 51%
- Peak
- 1610
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Castleton Q)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Castleton Q has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,082 of the rated field
- Contests
- 33
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 48%
- Peak
- 1612
10–6 in 16 shared contests (63% to Castleton Q)
Careers of much the same size, 33 contests to 46, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,090 of the rated field
- Contests
- 138
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 34%
- Peak
- 1716
2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Castleton Q)
They've been 1716 at their best, 120 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,084 of the rated field
- Contests
- 33
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 24%
- Peak
- 1604
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Castleton Q's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,086 of the rated field
- Contests
- 31
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1596
31 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 32% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,089 of the rated field
- Contests
- 59
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 24%
- Peak
- 1617
They were already cooking in 2013, 9 years before Castleton Q's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capt. Blue BBQ | 33 | 7 | 26 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| Leaning Jowler BBQ | 33 | 7 | 26 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| Oink N' Doink BBQ | 32 | 7 | 25 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| FIRE & SHINE BBQ | 31 | 6 | 25 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| All About the Wood | 28 | 13 | 15 | 46% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 28 | 6 | 22 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| Piggy & Swine BBQ | 26 | 12 | 13 | 46% | ⚔ compare |
| 3 EYZ BBQ | 26 | 7 | 17 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | 26 | 4 | 21 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKECRAFT - MD | 22 | 5 | 15 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| Menke Boys BBQ | 20 | 12 | 8 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| BEER TIME BBQ | 20 | 11 | 9 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| Backwooder BBQ | 20 | 10 | 10 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | 20 | 6 | 14 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| Rough Cut Q | 20 | 5 | 15 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 42 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 177.7028 | 146.2172 | 166.78 | top 48% |
| Pork Ribs | 44 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 179.4400 | 142.1712 | 163.51 | 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 field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 6 | 0 | top 67% |
| Medium (20–39) | 25 | 1 | top 52% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 47% |
Repeat visits (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% | Jun 13, 2026 |
| Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 6 | 12 | 0 | top 64% | Jul 25, 2026 |
| BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) | 6 | 2 | 0 | top 33% | Mar 28, 2026 |
| First State BBQ Bash (BACKYARD SUNDAY) | 4 | 3 | 0 | top 35% | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 11% | May 16, 2026 |
| MD State BBQ Bash | 2 | 20 | 0 | top 73% | Oct 10, 2025 |
| Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 35% | Oct 19, 2024 |
| Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 32% | Aug 10, 2024 |
| Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 54% | Apr 20, 2024 |
| Maryland State BBQ Bash | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 81% | Oct 13, 2023 |
| Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 58% | Jul 29, 2023 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
15 contests
Contests a season
9.2
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
PA
18 of 46 contests · 6 states in all
Contests visited
15
11 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
44 entries · 1 win · 15 calls
First title
May 15, 2026
Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1)
Opponents faced
533
finished ahead 1,033 times, behind 1,228
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20265 milestones
- First Grand Championship Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1)
- First state championship Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1)
- Career-best overall score677.0288 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026)
- Peak power rating (1596) First State BBQ Bash (BACKYARD SUNDAY)
- Most recent contest First State BBQ Bash (BACKYARD SUNDAY)
20251 milestone
- 25th tracked contest York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
20246 milestones
- First overall top-10 Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2)
- First overall podium Big Knob BBQ & Brew Fest
- 10th tracked contest Big Knob BBQ & Brew Fest
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 1)
- First Reserve Championship Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 1)
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)179.4400 Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 1)
20232 milestones
- First call Maryland State BBQ Bash
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score326.3200 Maryland State BBQ Bash
20221 milestone
- First tracked contest Maryland State BBQ Bash
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +19.5 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) | Aug 9, 2024 |
| +17.9 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) | Mar 28, 2026 |
| +15.6 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) | May 15, 2026 |
| +15.3 | First State BBQ Bash (SUNDAY BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 28, 2025 |
| +13 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) | Apr 20, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.3 | Maryland State BBQ Bash | Oct 14, 2022 |
| -10.8 | York County BBQ Festival | Jun 16, 2023 |
| -10.5 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jul 26, 2024 |
| -9.9 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) | Jun 28, 2025 |
| -8.4 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jul 25, 2025 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 64% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | First State BBQ Bash (BACKYARD SUNDAY) Milford, DE | 8 / 16 (338.2172) | 3 (176.5716) | 13 (161.6456) | — | — |
| Sep 25, 2026 | First State BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 10 / 39 (336.5028) | 6 (171.4172) | 12 (165.0856) | — | — |
| Jul 25, 2026 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 24 / 39 (330.1944) | — | 26 (161.6688) | — | — |
| Jul 24, 2026 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 13 / 43 (340.5028) | 5 (176.5600) | 25 (163.9428) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2026 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 8 / 13 (343.9428) | 8 (173.1200) | 9 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 17 / 25 (334.7652) | 11 (169.1084) | 17 (165.6568) | — | — |
| May 24, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 44 / 82 (329.0744) | 45 (163.3828) | 39 (165.6916) | — | — |
| May 23, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 92 / 117 (677.0288) | 82 (170.2628) | 44 (173.1316) | 68 (169.6916) | 106 (163.9428) |
| May 16, 2026 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 3 / 17 (343.9544) | 4 (176.5716) | 11 (167.3828) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 1 / 25 (349.6684) | 5 (175.4056) | 2 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Mar 28, 2026 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 2 / 36 (349.1200) | 2 (177.7028) | 5 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Mar 27, 2026 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 17 / 40 (328.5256) | 19 (158.8228) | 7 (169.7028) | — | — |
| Mar 27, 2026 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Urbanna, VA | — | 16 (169.7028) | — | — | — |
| Mar 27, 2026 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT RIBS) Urbanna, VA | — | — | 10 (170.2744) | — | — |
| Oct 10, 2025 | MD State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 20 / 29 (660.9716) | 14 (171.9772) | 18 (165.0972) | 22 (163.9428) | 21 (159.9544) |
| Sep 28, 2025 | First State BBQ Bash (SUNDAY BACKYARD ONLY) Milford, DE | 3 / 14 (343.3828) | 3 (173.7144) | 5 (169.6684) | — | — |
| Sep 26, 2025 | First State BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 11 / 25 (329.6916) | 11 (162.8572) | 8 (166.8344) | — | — |
| Sep 26, 2025 | First State BBQ Bash (ONE MEAT RIBS) Milford, DE | — | — | 12 (158.2628) | — | — |
| Jul 26, 2025 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 12 / 27 (337.6456) | 20 (166.2284) | 7 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Jul 25, 2025 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 27 / 30 (328.5372) | 24 (165.1200) | 26 (163.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 28, 2025 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 17 / 10 (318.2284) | 16 (159.4056) | 19 (158.8228) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 8 / 26 (337.0744) | 7 (173.1316) | 11 (163.9428) | — | — |
| Mar 22, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 15 / 43 (341.0972) | 4 (176) | 21 (165.0972) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 13 / 45 (332.5144) | 4 (173.7144) | 23 (158.8000) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Urbanna, VA | — | 17 (165.6800) | — | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT RIBS) Urbanna, VA | — | — | 16 (160.5144) | — | — |
| Oct 19, 2024 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) 🏅 Columbia, NJ | 8 / 26 (339.9544) | 3 (175.4172) | 12 (164.5372) | — | — |
| Oct 18, 2024 | Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Columbia, NJ | 11 / 28 (329.6228) | 3 (173.7028) | 18 (155.9200) | — | — |
| Oct 11, 2024 | MD State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 20 / 26 (324.4684) | 14 (167.9656) | 25 (156.5028) | — | — |
| Sep 27, 2024 | "The First State" BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 10 / 26 (325.6916) | 10 (161.7028) | 8 (163.9888) | — | — |
| Aug 10, 2024 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) 🏅 Ashland, VA | 16 / 28 (325.0744) | 20 (155.9544) | 7 (169.1200) | 16 (162.8000) | — |
| Aug 9, 2024 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) 🏅 Ashland, VA | 2 / 27 (350.2628) | 9 (170.8228) | 1 (179.4400) | 18 (158.8460) | — |
| Jul 27, 2024 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 20 / 32 (319.9088) | 19 (161.6916) | 20 (158.2172) | — | — |
| Jul 26, 2024 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 33 / 35 (317.0400) | 37 (153.6572) | 24 (163.3828) | — | — |
| Jun 29, 2024 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 15 / 19 (332.5144) | 3 (173.1544) | 20 (159.3600) | — | — |
| Jun 28, 2024 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 20 / 29 (326.7772) | 12 (167.9772) | 25 (158.8000) | — | — |
| May 24, 2024 | Big Knob BBQ & Brew Fest 🏅 Rochester, PA | 3 / 23 (319.3828) | 4 (160.5256) | 5 (158.8572) | — | — |
| Apr 20, 2024 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 6 / 25 (344.5944) | 11 (170.2972) | 3 (174.2972) | 18 (147.3600) | — |
| Apr 19, 2024 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 21 / 25 (322.7772) | 22 (162.2628) | 19 (160.5144) | 24 (157.6572) | 15 (137.6800) |
| Mar 23, 2024 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 21 / 42 (322.2744) | 24 (151.9772) | 9 (170.2972) | 15 (163.9772) | — |
| Mar 22, 2024 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 15 / 45 (331.9544) | 22 (161.1200) | 7 (170.8344) | 25 (157.7028) | — |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 11 / 23 (326.3200) | 7 (165.7256) | 15 (160.5944) | — | — |
| Jul 29, 2023 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 22 / 40 (313.0856) | 22 (157.6800) | 21 (155.4056) | — | — |
| Jul 28, 2023 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 31 / 51 (307.3600) | 25 (163.9656) | 32 (143.3944) | — | — |
| Jun 16, 2023 | York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA | 26 / 29 (298.6968) | 23 (156.5256) | 28 (142.1712) | — | — |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD | 34 / 30 (292.4116) | 34 (146.2172) | 35 (146.1944) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.