GRAY WOLF BBQ

GRAY WOLF BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 35 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 5th of 40 at the Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival (2019). They are ranked #4965 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#4,965

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1463

peak 1463 · rated over 28 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 26, 2015

latest Oct 3, 2025 · 10.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#437

Master 2020 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

5 podiums

Overall top-10s

9% of 35 contests

Avg finish

top 70%

overall standings

Best overall

692.5376 / 720

Master · Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

668.92 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 657.11 (+11.80)

Walk rate

40%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Pork Ribs · Smokin on the Osage (Day 2)

Consistency

±21.28

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 166.72 · weakest Brisket (161.21)

Road miles

1,955

across 35 mapped stops · furthest 129 mi

Schedule strength

82%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1607)

Purse competed for

$310K

listed at 25 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 26 state-championship entries

Master avg

657.11 / 720

28 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (12 found in their record)

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

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 ribs.

Pork Ribs ×1

High-water mark

692.5376 career-best overall

96.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 692.5376 at Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild — 96.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 3, 2025

The one to beat

4× one call ahead of them

CROSSFIRE BBQ has finished one call ahead of GRAY WOLF BBQ 4 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2019 their best year

2019 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 49%.

5 contests
2 overall top-10s
1 category win
average top 49%

A tough matchup

24–1 behind in the head-to-head

GETTIN' BASTED ahead in 96% of their meetings

GETTIN' BASTED has come out ahead in 24 of their 25 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.5 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.51 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 14% of the time against 18%.

Brisket avg 161.21
Chicken avg 166.72
4 calls in 28 entries

A strong matchup

5–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BULLS SMOKIN BBQ in 5 of their 5 shared contests.

Show 5 more storylines

Chicken nemesis

21 of 25 shared chicken entries lost

GETTIN' BASTED ahead 84% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, GETTIN' BASTED has out-cooked them in 21 of 25 shared chicken entries.

They cook the hard rooms

1607 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 82% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1607 power rating — a tougher draw than 82% of every rated contest in the data.

28 rated contests

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Hogzilla has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An April team

Top 46% average finish in April

Something about April: average finish in the top 46% across 4 contests, versus top 70% the rest of the year.

4 April contests
top 70% the rest of the year

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Ozarks BBQ Fest every year from 2020 to 2023 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 13th

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	#1263 (57 pts)	#1048 (77 pts)	#1359 (57 pts)	#1276 (57 pts)	#1267 (57 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#654 (229 pts)	#655 (274 pts)	#766 (229 pts)	#525 (359 pts)	#595 (279 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#935 (118 pts)	#1024 (118 pts)	#1091 (118 pts)	#904 (133 pts)	#976 (118 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#637 (248 pts)	#645 (283 pts)	#688 (290 pts)	#551 (348 pts)	#598 (293 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#735 (227 pts)	#755 (237 pts)	#744 (262 pts)	#722 (247 pts)	#790 (207 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#542 (314 pts)	#559 (324 pts)	#610 (294 pts)	#497 (374 pts)	#587 (309 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#437 (248 pts)	#561 (183 pts)	#209 (563 pts)	#516 (208 pts)	#381 (313 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#564 (583 pts)	#561 (618 pts)	#451 (758 pts)	#525 (658 pts)	#659 (513 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1331 (175 pts)	#894 (365 pts)	#1397 (175 pts)	#1238 (210 pts)	#1179 (235 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#2212 (60 pts)	#2286 (60 pts)	#2304 (60 pts)	#2260 (60 pts)	#2266 (60 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2274 (60 pts)	#2353 (60 pts)	#2349 (60 pts)	#2326 (60 pts)	#2345 (60 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#2769 (56 pts)	#2768 (56 pts)	#2775 (56 pts)	#2784 (56 pts)	#2053 (86 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to GRAY WOLF BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Rub You Long Time

#4,966 of the rated field

1463 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1525

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to GRAY WOLF BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team GRAY WOLF BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 18 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

Moolicious Intentions

#4,974 of the rated field

1463 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1513

3–0 in 3 shared contests (100% to GRAY WOLF BBQ)

They've been 1513 at their best, 49 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 18 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

BIG B'S BBQ - TX

#4,953 of the rated field

1464 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1500

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to GRAY WOLF BBQ)

Fewer contests behind them than GRAY WOLF BBQ has cooked, 19 to 35, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Sep 5, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

Wine & Swine

#4,955 of the rated field

1464 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1516

3–0 in 3 shared contests (100% to GRAY WOLF BBQ)

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 21% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

Hogs B Hatin'

#4,942 of the rated field

1464 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 37%
Peak: 1464

3–1 in 4 shared contests (75% to GRAY WOLF BBQ)

Level with GRAY WOLF BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Jun 12, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

SOME-R SWINE

#4,981 of the rated field

1463 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1505

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 6 years before GRAY WOLF BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 30 contests

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
GETTIN' BASTED	25	1	24	4%	⚔ compare
TAILGATE GUYS BBQ	24	9	15	38%	⚔ compare
CROSSFIRE BBQ	17	5	12	29%	⚔ compare
SLAPS BBQ	15	0	15	0%	⚔ compare
Hogzilla	14	9	5	64%	⚔ compare
PARTS 'R' SMOKIN	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
WOOD HOOK BBQ	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
4 LEGS UP BBQ	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
MAN MEAT BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
RAZORRACKS	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
Ambition Que	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
AMERICAN FIRE BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE THIS BBQ MO	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
SMOOTH SMOKE	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	28	5	0	2	177.7144	149.6800	166.72	top 62%
Pork Ribs	29	7	2	2	180 🔥	149.6800	163.35	top 65%
Pork	28	5	1	1	178.8572	130.8228	165.78	top 57%
Brisket	28	4	0	0	176.5600	141.0860	161.21	top 67%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 66%
Medium (20–39)	18	top 70%
Large (40+)	8	top 70%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MO	23	top 71%
KS	3	top 73%
AR	2	top 58%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Ozarks BBQ Fest	4	13	top 55%	Jun 9, 2023
Smokin on the Osage (Day 2)	3	19	top 83%	Jul 20, 2024
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	2	370	top 76%	Sep 27, 2023
Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge	2	20	top 79%	Mar 26, 2021
Freedom Fest BBQ Cook-Off	2	31	top 83%	Jun 29, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2023 6 contests

Contests a season 3.2 across 11 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MO 27 of 35 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 20 5 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 29 entries · 2 wins · 7 calls

Opponents faced 1,048 finished ahead 616 times, behind 1,625

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

20252 milestones

Oct 3 Career-best overall score692.5376 Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild
Oct 3 Most recent contest Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild

20231 milestone

Jul 21 25th tracked contest Smokin on the Osage (Day 1)

20202 milestones

Jun 19 Peak power rating (1491) Ozarks BBQ Fest
Jul 18 First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Smokin on the Osage (Day 2)

20194 milestones

Apr 6 First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.7772 Smoke On the Border
Apr 26 First overall top-10 Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival
Aug 9 First category win (Pork Ribs) Route 66 BBQ & Steak Showdown
Aug 9 10th tracked contest Route 66 BBQ & Steak Showdown

20181 milestone

May 25 First call Shepherd's Smokin Summer Kick Off

20151 milestone

Jun 26 First tracked contest 3rd Annual Willard Freedom Feast BBQ Cook-Off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.4	Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival	Apr 26, 2019
+9.2	Route 66 BBQ & Steak Showdown	Aug 9, 2019
+6.9	Ozarks BBQ Fest	Jun 9, 2023
+6.7	Smoke On the Border	Apr 6, 2019
+2.6	Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild	Oct 3, 2025

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12	3rd Annual Willard Freedom Feast BBQ Cook-Off	Jun 26, 2015
-8.9	Smokin on the Osage (Day 2)	Jul 20, 2024
-8.7	Freedom Feast BBQ Cook-Off	Jun 24, 2016
-7.6	Freedom Fest BBQ Cook-Off	Jun 23, 2017
-4.7	Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge	Sep 11, 2020

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)
2025	2	1	1	100%	top 64%	96.2%	95.3%
2024	4	0	0	0%	top 84%	92%	91.8%
2023	6	0	0	17%	top 65%	96%	93%
2022	4	0	0	25%	top 70%	91.4%	90.6%
2021	5	0	0	40%	top 72%	92.8%	91.7%
2020	3	0	1	100%	top 69%	94.1%	92.9%
2019	5	2	1	80%	top 49%	95.1%	92.5%
2018	3	0	0	33%	top 81%	89.8%	89.4%
2017	1	0	0	0%	top 89%	86.3%	86.3%
2016	1	0	0	0%	top 90%	85.2%	85.2%
2015	1	0	0	0%	top 97%	82.8%	82.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 3, 2025	Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild 🏅 Branson, MO	7 / 11 (692.5376)	3 (177.7144)	8 (168.5488)	1 (178.8572)	8 (167.4172)
Mar 14, 2025	University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest 🏅 Fayetteville, AR	18 / 28 (680.4916)	23 (165.6800)	16 (170.8572)	16 (171.9772)	8 (171.9772)
Oct 30, 2024	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
Oct 30, 2024	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	298 / 444 (662.7428)	245 (168.5372)	327 (164.5256)	244 (167.4284)	321 (162.2516)
Jul 20, 2024	Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO	33 / 33 (659.8516)	33 (162.8000)	30 (166.2400)	22 (171.4400)	33 (159.3716)
Jul 19, 2024	Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 27, 2023	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 27, 2023	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	370 / 487 (648.9712)	300 (166.2400)	461 (151.3600)	249 (167.9656)	316 (163.4056)
Jul 22, 2023	Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO	21 / 28 (669.0976)	16 (172.5716)	18 (169.7144)	14 (169.6800)	23 (157.1316)
Jul 22, 2023	Smokin on the Osage (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Osceola, MO	—	—	19 (161.6800)	—	—
Jul 21, 2023	Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO	—	—	—	—	—
Jun 9, 2023	Ozarks BBQ Fest 🏅 Springfield, MO	13 / 30 (691.3828)	11 (173.7028)	24 (163.9772)	5 (177.1428)	6 (176.5600)
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	386 / 505 (645.5884)	265 (166.8800)	478 (151.3484)	273 (166.2628)	337 (161.0972)
Jul 23, 2022	Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO	19 / 26 (658.1712)	11 (171.9656)	26 (157.1200)	19 (166.2856)	17 (162.8000)
Apr 22, 2022	Ozarks BBQ Fest 🏅 Springfield, MO	19 / 31 (652.4228)	25 (157.0856)	8 (175.4172)	15 (166.8572)	25 (153.0628)
Oct 8, 2021	Anchor City Cook Off 🏅 Centralia, MO	13 / 19 (667.8740)	10 (170.8572)	12 (168.5600)	12 (168.5256)	15 (159.9312)
Jul 24, 2021	Smokin on the Osage - Day 2 🏅 Osceola, MO	21 / 25 (652.3772)	24 (163.9428)	23 (154.8000)	8 (174.2628)	20 (159.3716)
Jul 23, 2021	Smokin on the Osage - Day 1 🏅 Osceola, MO	—	—	—	—	—
Apr 23, 2021	Ozarks BBQ Fest 🏅 Springfield, MO	21 / 37 (658.7200)	19 (167.9772)	24 (162.8456)	25 (163.9544)	21 (163.9428)
Mar 26, 2021	Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge 🏅 St. Roberts, MO	42 / 52 (661.0400)	39 (164.5256)	34 (166.8456)	26 (169.7144)	46 (159.9544)
Sep 11, 2020	Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge 🏅 St. Roberts, MO	20 / 26 (666.1944)	26 (162.8112)	9 (169.7144)	19 (163.9888)	12 (169.6800)
Jul 18, 2020	Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO	22 / 31 (677.2348)	30 (163.4744)	1 (180)	25 (165.1544)	19 (168.6060)
Jun 19, 2020	Ozarks BBQ Fest 🏅 Springfield, MO	15 / 26 (662.2400)	20 (164.5256)	8 (171.4400)	21 (160)	13 (166.2744)
Oct 4, 2019	Guts Glory Ram BBQ Showdown 🏅 Lebanon, MO	18 / 27 (657.5888)	13 (168.5600)	21 (159.9428)	15 (168.5600)	18 (160.5260)
Aug 9, 2019	Route 66 BBQ & Steak Showdown 🏅 Springfiled, MO	9 / 25 (674.7656)	11 (168.5716)	1 (173.7144)	7 (169.7028)	15 (162.7768)
Jul 20, 2019	Smoking on the Osage BBQ contest and Car show 🏅 Osceola, MO	21 / 27 (650.2512)	8 (172.5600)	13 (166.2972)	11 (167.4284)	24 (143.9656)
Apr 26, 2019	Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival 🏅 Springfield, MO	5 / 40 (684.4800)	15 (165.6800)	4 (174.2744)	5 (171.9656)	6 (172.5600)
Apr 6, 2019	Smoke On the Border 🏅 Gravette, AR	15 / 29 (662.7772)	10 (171.4172)	18 (161.0972)	17 (165.1200)	17 (165.1428)
Nov 9, 2018	Smoke EM IF You Got EM Springfield, MO	25 / 30 (644.5712)	22 (161.7028)	28 (149.7028)	18 (164.5828)	13 (168.5828)
Jun 29, 2018	Freedom Fest BBQ Cook-Off Willard, MO	40 / 52 (646.7084)	34 (167.3828)	45 (158.8228)	44 (158.8456)	33 (161.6572)
May 25, 2018	Shepherd's Smokin Summer Kick Off Branson, MO	41 / 50 (640.4800)	3 (176.5828)	43 (153.7032)	26 (166.8112)	47 (143.3828)
Jun 23, 2017	Freedom Fest BBQ Cook-Off Willard, MO	31 / 35 (621.6688)	28 (164.0116)	29 (154.8344)	28 (157.1772)	35 (145.6456)
Jun 24, 2016	Freedom Feast BBQ Cook-Off Willard, MO	44 / 49 (613.0860)	38 (160.5828)	34 (160)	44 (151.4172)	47 (141.0860)
Jun 26, 2015	3rd Annual Willard Freedom Feast BBQ Cook-Off Willard, MO	30 / 31 (595.8972)	29 (149.6800)	26 (149.6800)	31 (130.8228)	19 (165.7144)

GRAY WOLF BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

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 (12 found in their record)

Perfect scores on the board

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

They cook the hard rooms

Looking over their shoulder

An April team

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

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)