CHOOCHOO BBQ

CHOOCHOO BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 72 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 25 at the Honeybee BBQ Competition (2024), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #817 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Choo-Choo BBQ” and “CHOO CHOO BBQ”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#817

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1626

peak 1646 · rated over 66 contests3 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Aug 23, 2013

latest Sep 25, 2026 · 13.1 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#93

Master 2021 · every season

Grand champs

2 reserve

Category wins

31 podiums

Overall top-10s

31% of 72 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 43%

overall standings

Best overall

704.5372 / 720

Master · Smoke on the Falls

Perfect 180s

3 🔥

Current form

690.89 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 679.79 (+11.10)

Walk rate

74%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Pork · Smoke on the Falls

Consistency

±14.59

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 170.53 · weakest Pork Ribs (168.92)

Road miles

10,745

across 72 mapped stops · furthest 743 mi

Schedule strength

65%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1582)

Purse competed for

$559K

listed at 49 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 61 state-championship entries

Master avg

679.79 / 720

68 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (16 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

0.5368 points from the title

Came within 0.5368 points of the Grand Championship at Honeybee BBQ Competition (May 31, 2024).

Perfect scores on the board

3 perfect 180s

3 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.

Pork ×2
Chicken ×1

Happy hunting ground

Top 19% average finish here

Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ is their spot: an average finish in the top 19% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 5th
average top 19%

They almost always walk

74% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 53 of 72 contests

A top-10 category call in 74% of their 72 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

704.5372 career-best overall

97.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 704.5372 at Smoke on the Falls — 97.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
Apr 3, 2026

The one to beat

4× one call ahead of them

HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ has finished one call ahead of CHOOCHOO BBQ 4 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2026 their best year

2026 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 31%.

5 contests
3 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 31%

Show 9 more storylines

A tough matchup

40–3 behind in the head-to-head

ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN ahead in 93% of their meetings

ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN has come out ahead in 40 of their 43 shared contests.

A strong matchup

24–8 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Willingham's in 24 of their 32 shared contests.

The comeback

3.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3.8 years, then back at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Jun 16, 2017).

last seen Aug 23, 2013
back Jun 16, 2017

Chicken nemesis

28 of 37 shared chicken entries lost

Organizer Portal ahead 76% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Organizer Portal has out-cooked them in 28 of 37 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

4× one call behind them

SMOKE SHOW MAFIA has landed one call behind them 4 times.

An April team

Top 28% average finish in April

Something about April: average finish in the top 28% across 10 contests, versus top 43% the rest of the year.

10 April contests
top 43% the rest of the year

The long haul

10,745 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 10,745 miles across 72 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 743 miles to Flinthills Beef Fest BBQ.

72 mapped stops
furthest 743 mi

The metronome

±2.03% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.03% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 94.4% of a perfect score
72 contests

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked Honeybee BBQ Competition every year from 2022 to 2026 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 2nd

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	#253 (785 pts)	#226 (925 pts)	#428 (545 pts)	#276 (770 pts)	#263 (785 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#483 (394 pts)	#463 (489 pts)	#621 (309 pts)	#496 (399 pts)	#434 (504 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#257 (844 pts)	#261 (894 pts)	#332 (764 pts)	#261 (839 pts)	#241 (904 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#133 (1,290 pts)	#184 (1,060 pts)	#200 (1,103 pts)	#147 (1,215 pts)	#79 (1,580 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#234 (958 pts)	#174 (1,188 pts)	#235 (1,033 pts)	#201 (1,053 pts)	#137 (1,328 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#93 (1,512 pts)	#118 (1,321 pts)	#69 (1,645 pts)	#71 (1,631 pts)	#61 (1,698 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#458 (233 pts)	#476 (238 pts)	#468 (248 pts)	#365 (323 pts)	#425 (278 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#367 (872 pts)	#296 (1,022 pts)	#595 (587 pts)	#320 (982 pts)	#287 (1,067 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#2501 (58 pts)	#1720 (118 pts)	#2552 (53 pts)	#1841 (98 pts)	#2504 (58 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#2922 (53 pts)	#2908 (53 pts)	#1674 (148 pts)	#2908 (53 pts)	#2904 (53 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

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

5 FINGER BBQ

#816 of the rated field

1626 power rating

Contests: 66
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1662

They've been 1662 at their best, 36 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 66 contests
last seen Oct 5, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

COCHON 225

#818 of the rated field

1626 power rating

Contests: 39
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 36%
Peak: 1633

Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before CHOOCHOO BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 38 contests

⚔ Compare careers

BBQ Hot Yard

#819 of the rated field

1626 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 71%
Peak: 1630

Fewer contests behind them than CHOOCHOO BBQ has cooked, 35 to 72, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 33 contests
last seen Oct 9, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Smoker Bandits

#815 of the rated field

1626 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1631

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 25 contests, alongside a 32% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 22 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

UNCLE FEOL'S TENNESSEE STYLE BBQ

#827 of the rated field

1625 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 58
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1625

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to CHOOCHOO BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team CHOOCHOO BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 56 contests
last seen May 8, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

UNCLE J'S

#823 of the rated field

1625 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 84
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1678

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to CHOOCHOO BBQ)

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

rated over 80 contests
last seen Jun 30, 2023

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS	43	15	28	35%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	43	3	40	7%	⚔ compare
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ	39	13	26	33%	⚔ compare
Stewbabys BBQ	37	25	12	68%	⚔ compare
COOL HAND QUE	37	15	22	41%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	37	9	28	24%	⚔ compare
Willingham's	32	24	8	75%	⚔ compare
Under the Radar	31	7	24	23%	⚔ compare
BAD ROOSTER BBQ	30	6	24	20%	⚔ compare
ZIPS BBQ	26	12	14	46%	⚔ compare
Wine Me, Dine Me and Swine Me	25	19	6	76%	⚔ compare
MAYA JANE BBQ CO.	25	9	16	36%	⚔ compare
Smoke Central BBQ	24	5	19	21%	⚔ compare
Peckerwood Country Club	23	18	5	78%	⚔ compare
CLAUDE'S Q	23	18	5	78%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	69	25	3	9	180 🔥	153.1656	170.53	top 46%
Pork Ribs	70	18	0	4	179.4400	146.8344	168.92	top 50%
Pork	68	22	3	7	180 🔥	153.0628	170.39	top 42%
Brisket	68	24	6	11	179.4400	146.2628	169.98	top 42%

“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)	4	top 40%
Medium (20–39)	43	top 44%
Large (40+)	21	top 41%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
GA	35	top 50%
TN	14	top 37%
AL	13	top 28%
SC	2	top 19%
OK	2	top 61%
NC	1	top 71%
KS	1	top 88%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Honeybee BBQ Competition	6	2	top 40%	May 29, 2026
Smoke on the Falls	6	2	top 26%	Apr 3, 2026
Atlanta BBQ Store Classic	4	15	top 45%	Nov 14, 2025
Big BBQ Bash	4	4	top 28%	Jun 20, 2025
BBQ, Boogie & Blues	4	13	top 48%	Apr 26, 2024
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship	3	5	top 20%	Mar 20, 2026
Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival	3	10	top 57%	Aug 16, 2024
Sip & Swine BBQ Festival	3	12	top 36%	Mar 1, 2024
Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	2	5	top 19%	Sep 8, 2022
The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival	2	11	top 62%	Oct 8, 2021
Swine At the Shrine	2	3	top 20%	Aug 6, 2021

More numbers

Busiest season 2021 17 contests

Contests a season 6.5 across 11 seasons in the data

Most contests held in GA 37 of 72 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 40 11 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 70 entries · 0 wins · 18 calls

Opponents faced 1,383 finished ahead 2,218 times, behind 1,690

Longest layoff 3.8 yrs Aug 23, 2013 → Jun 16, 2017

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

20262 milestones

Apr 3 Career-best overall score704.5372 Smoke on the Falls
Sep 25 Most recent contest Big BBQ Bash

20251 milestone

Jun 20 10th category win Big BBQ Bash

20232 milestones

Apr 7 50th tracked contest Smoke on the Falls
Jun 23 Peak power rating (1646) Big BBQ Bash

20211 milestone

Aug 13 25th tracked contest Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ

20196 milestones

Apr 12 First category win (Pork) Smoke on the Falls
Apr 12 First overall top-10 Smoke on the Falls
Apr 12 First overall podium Smoke on the Falls
Apr 12 First Reserve Championship Smoke on the Falls
Apr 12 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Smoke on the Falls
Jul 19 10th tracked contest Piggin in the Park

20181 milestone

May 11 First overall past 90% of a perfect score665.5540 Roman Roast on the River

20171 milestone

Jun 16 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

20131 milestone

Aug 23 First tracked contest Flinthills Beef Fest BBQ

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+18.3	Smoke on the Falls	Apr 12, 2019
+18.2	Swine At the Shrine	Sep 11, 2020
+17.5	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pine Ridge	Apr 16, 2021
+14.8	Smoke on The Shores BBQ Championship	Mar 19, 2021
+13.4	Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Day 1	Sep 3, 2021

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14	Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival	Aug 18, 2023
-12.8	Pigs & Peaches	Aug 15, 2025
-12.1	Honeybee BBQ Competition	May 30, 2025
-11.1	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Jun 16, 2017
-11	Flinthills Beef Fest BBQ	Aug 23, 2013

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)
2026	5	3	2	80%	top 31%	97.9%	96%
2025	4	1	1	50%	top 63%	95.3%	94.3%
2024	7	3	1	86%	top 37%	96.9%	95.5%
2023	10	3	2	80%	top 33%	97.5%	95.3%
2022	13	2	2	77%	top 39%	95.3%	94.5%
2021	17	7	2	82%	top 39%	96.7%	94.9%
2020	4	1	0	75%	top 46%	97.4%	94.2%
2019	8	2	2	63%	top 49%	95.9%	93.2%
2018	2	0	0	0%	top 85%	92.4%	90.5%
2017	1	0	0	100%	top 96%	88.3%	88.3%
2013	1	0	0	0%	top 88%	86.7%	86.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 25, 2026	Big BBQ Bash 🏅 Townsend, TN	13 / 30 (679.3144)	13 (170.8228)	22 (163.9428)	3 (177.1544)	14 (167.3944)
Sep 18, 2026	Mike Gannon BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Columbiana, AL	5 / 16 (689.6228)	1 (178.8572)	7 (172.5600)	6 (175.4056)	11 (162.8000)
May 29, 2026	Honeybee BBQ Competition 🏅 Lafayette, GA	7 / 19 (692.4800)	7 (174.2744)	17 (167.3712)	9 (174.2744)	1 (176.5600)
Apr 3, 2026	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	3 / 36 (704.5372)	3 (178.8572)	12 (173.7028)	12 (174.2628)	6 (177.7144)
Mar 20, 2026	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	46 / 125 (688.5028)	17 (177.7028)	96 (165.1084)	27 (175.4288)	63 (170.2628)
Nov 14, 2025	Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA	37 / 56 (681.5768)	32 (170.8228)	36 (171.4056)	23 (173.1200)	46 (166.2284)
Aug 15, 2025	Pigs & Peaches 🏅 Kennesaw, GA	20 / 27 (674.7200)	22 (167.3828)	21 (165.0972)	19 (166.8344)	8 (175.4056)
Jun 20, 2025	Big BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN	10 / 26 (686.1944)	1 (178.8572)	18 (165.6800)	9 (171.9772)	11 (169.6800)
May 30, 2025	Honeybee BBQ Competition 🏅 Lafayette, GA	19 / 26 (672.4112)	18 (169.6684)	17 (168.5256)	11 (170.8228)	21 (163.3944)
Nov 15, 2024	Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cuming, GA	15 / 58 (691.9200)	32 (170.8228)	27 (172.5600)	26 (170.8344)	7 (177.7028)
Aug 16, 2024	Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival 🏅 Kennesaw, GA	16 / 26 (680.4572)	3 (178.8572)	18 (166.2400)	14 (171.9772)	21 (163.3828)
Jun 21, 2024	Big BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN	9 / 33 (694.7772)	8 (175.4172)	10 (171.9772)	20 (170.8228)	2 (176.5600)
May 31, 2024	Honeybee BBQ Competition 🏅 Lafayette, GA	2 / 25 (697.6572)	2 (175.4172)	12 (170.8228)	7 (171.9772)	1 (179.4400)
Apr 26, 2024	BBQ, Boogie & Blues 🏅 Calhoun, GA	16 / 34 (680.4456)	26 (165.0972)	8 (173.7028)	9 (173.1200)	21 (168.5256)
Apr 12, 2024	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	10 / 31 (689.6460)	19 (170.8344)	8 (173.7260)	3 (175.4172)	16 (169.6684)
Mar 1, 2024	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA	32 / 59 (676.4688)	39 (168.5372)	24 (169.6800)	34 (167.4172)	25 (170.8344)
Nov 17, 2023	Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA	37 / 60 (674.6968)	40 (168.5372)	30 (171.9656)	52 (162.7884)	25 (171.4056)
Oct 27, 2023	Railyard BBQ Brawl 2023 🏅 Madison, AL	3 / 14 (702.2284)	3 (176.5600)	2 (179.4400)	9 (171.9656)	5 (174.2628)
Aug 18, 2023	Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival 🏅 Kennesaw, GA	19 / 27 (674.1372)	26 (158.2172)	19 (167.3828)	8 (171.9772)	4 (176.5600)
Jun 23, 2023	Big BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN	4 / 36 (698.2404)	11 (173.1316)	12 (171.9772)	4 (177.7144)	7 (175.4172)
Jun 2, 2023	Honeybee BBQ Competition 🏅 Lafayette, GA	11 / 27 (681.6228)	15 (166.8228)	17 (165.1200)	5 (173.1200)	5 (176.5600)
Apr 28, 2023	BBQ Boogie & Blues 🏅 Calhoun, GA	13 / 32 (685.0400)	1 (178.8572)	19 (167.4060)	15 (170.8228)	18 (167.9540)
Apr 7, 2023	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	11 / 39 (679.3144)	19 (167.3944)	25 (166.2400)	21 (166.8228)	1 (178.8572)
Mar 17, 2023	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	5 / 80 (694.2512)	23 (174.8572)	12 (172.5828)	29 (171.4056)	7 (175.4056)
Mar 17, 2023	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (One Meat Ribs) Lebanon, TN	—	—	34 (166.2400)	—	—
Mar 3, 2023	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA	12 / 65 (687.9084)	27 (170.8228)	29 (169.1200)	5 (176)	13 (171.9656)
Nov 18, 2022	Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA	16 / 57 (682.7428)	32 (167.3828)	27 (167.3828)	12 (171.9772)	4 (176)
Nov 17, 2022	Atlanta BBQ Store Classic (One Meat Ribs) Cumming, GA	—	—	6 (174.2744)	—	—
Oct 14, 2022	Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Music Festival 🏅 Grovetown, GA	25 / 51 (680.4456)	8 (177.7144)	37 (166.2284)	44 (165.0972)	16 (171.4056)
Oct 14, 2022	Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Music Festival - One Meat Chicken Grovetown, GA	—	18 (170.2512)	—	—	—
Sep 8, 2022	Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ 🏅 Huntsville, AL	10 / 35 (675.8856)	4 (176.5600)	11 (170.8228)	21 (163.3944)	15 (165.1084)
Jul 7, 2022	South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	25 / 92 (684.4800)	41 (168.5140)	26 (172.5716)	40 (168.5372)	14 (174.8572)
Jun 24, 2022	Big BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN	10 / 29 (685.0628)	7 (172.5600)	5 (175.4172)	12 (170.8228)	15 (166.2628)
Jun 3, 2022	Honeybee BBQ Competition 🏅 Lafayette, GA	13 / 25 (673.6456)	7 (173.1084)	23 (158.7884)	19 (164.0116)	2 (177.7372)
May 20, 2022	Sevierville's Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Festival 🏅 Sevierville, TN	14 / 30 (678.1940)	24 (164.5256)	20 (167.3828)	19 (168.5256)	1 (177.7600)
Apr 29, 2022	BBQ Boogie & Blues 🏅 Calhoun, GA	16 / 37 (681.6344)	8 (174.8456)	4 (174.2860)	26 (166.2400)	22 (166.2628)
Apr 8, 2022	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	11 / 34 (683.9312)	21 (165.7256)	20 (167.3828)	1 (180)	14 (170.8228)
Mar 18, 2022	Smoke on The Shores 🏅 Lebanon, TN	31 / 63 (675.3140)	37 (169.1084)	30 (168.5372)	28 (169.1200)	26 (168.5484)
Mar 4, 2022	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA	26 / 73 (686.1828)	28 (171.9772)	15 (174.8572)	7 (176.5600)	50 (162.7884)
Nov 13, 2021	3rd Annual KCBS World Invitational - Master Invitational unrated Shawnee, OK	31 / 92 (692.5372)	81 (167.4172)	33 (174.2744)	25 (174.8456)	14 (176)
Nov 11, 2021	3rd Annual KCBS World Invitational - Open unrated Shawnee, OK	98 / 111 (656.9716)	108 (153.6344)	49 (169.6916)	61 (170.2628)	89 (163.3828)
Nov 11, 2021	3rd Annual KCBS World Invitational - Ancillary unrated Shawnee, OK	—	—	—	—	—
Oct 8, 2021	The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Lyons, GA	11 / 26 (679.8628)	17 (168.5372)	8 (171.9656)	12 (168.5372)	13 (170.8228)
Sep 24, 2021	BBQ Boogie & Blues 🏅 Calhoun, GA	16 / 27 (677.0288)	9 (173.1200)	16 (171.4172)	11 (169.6800)	21 (162.8116)
Sep 4, 2021	Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Day 2 🏅 Augusta, GA	25 / 43 (685.6000)	10 (176.5716)	16 (173.1200)	22 (169.6800)	36 (166.2284)
Sep 3, 2021	Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Day 1 🏅 Augusta, GA	8 / 37 (693.6344)	22 (170.8228)	19 (170.8344)	1 (180)	13 (171.9772)
Aug 20, 2021	Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival 🏅 Kennesaw, GA	10 / 26 (681.0516)	8 (171.9772)	3 (176.5600)	11 (169.6800)	21 (162.8344)
Aug 13, 2021	Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ 🏅 Huntsville, AL	5 / 49 (694.8344)	17 (171.9772)	6 (174.2744)	17 (170.8228)	2 (177.7600)
Aug 6, 2021	Swine At the Shrine 🏅 Savannah, GA	8 / 25 (691.3372)	12 (170.8344)	2 (178.8572)	6 (175.4172)	20 (166.2284)
Jul 30, 2021	GBC Summer Showdown 🏅 Cumming, GA	18 / 39 (674.7312)	29 (167.3712)	26 (165.6800)	10 (171.4172)	9 (170.2628)
Jun 25, 2021	Blount County BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN	6 / 32 (689.0512)	8 (171.9656)	3 (177.1544)	21 (166.8228)	6 (173.1084)
May 7, 2021	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Franklin 🏅 Franklin, NC	12 / 17 (678.7196)	6 (172.5600)	10 (168.5256)	14 (165.6684)	11 (171.9656)
Apr 16, 2021	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pine Ridge 🏅 Roebuck, SC	3 / 27 (695.9544)	8 (173.7144)	4 (175.4172)	12 (169.6684)	1 (177.1544)
Apr 9, 2021	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	13 / 38 (674.1712)	29 (165.0972)	18 (167.4172)	2 (175.4056)	22 (166.2512)
Mar 19, 2021	Smoke on The Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	10 / 57 (689.6572)	31 (167.9772)	18 (171.9772)	5 (177.1428)	18 (172.5600)
Feb 5, 2021	Brasstown Valley BBQ Throwdown (TEAMS & JUDGES FULL) Young Harris, GA	11 / 31 (680.4684)	9 (174.2628)	28 (164.5256)	15 (166.2400)	3 (175.4400)
Nov 20, 2020	Georgia BBQ Championship Throwdown 🏅 Cumming, GA	20 / 40 (686.8116)	28 (167.3944)	25 (168.5600)	12 (173.7028)	6 (177.1544)
Oct 9, 2020	The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Lyons, GA	30 / 37 (662.1256)	17 (171.9656)	35 (159.9544)	35 (157.0972)	12 (173.1084)
Sep 18, 2020	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	13 / 28 (663.9088)	20 (164.5372)	10 (166.8460)	12 (167.4056)	17 (165.1200)
Sep 11, 2020	Swine At the Shrine 🏅 Savannah, GA	3 / 38 (701.0856)	7 (176.5600)	8 (176)	2 (177.7028)	23 (170.8228)
Nov 15, 2019	Georgia BBQ Championship Throwdown 🏅 Cedartown, GA	30 / 35 (658.1144)	30 (165.6800)	27 (165.0972)	9 (170.8228)	34 (156.5144)
Aug 23, 2019	Great Americana BBQ Festival 🏅 Franklin, TN	16 / 39 (671.8740)	20 (168.5256)	22 (166.8572)	11 (169.6684)	16 (166.8228)
Jul 19, 2019	Piggin in the Park 🏅 Jasper, GA	19 / 25 (661.5884)	10 (169.6800)	22 (159.9544)	13 (165.1428)	13 (166.8112)
Jun 14, 2019	Poosa-Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL	22 / 48 (677.6460)	11 (173.1544)	19 (169.6916)	36 (165.1200)	25 (169.6800)
May 31, 2019	Honeybee BBQ Competition 🏅 LaFayette, GA	7 / 22 (673.0860)	2 (175.4172)	18 (159.4288)	18 (161.6800)	1 (176.5600)
May 3, 2019	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ 🏅 Huntsville, AL	20 / 54 (673.0628)	29 (166.2512)	45 (157.6916)	16 (170.2628)	2 (178.8572)
Apr 12, 2019	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	2 / 30 (690.2172)	2 (180)	17 (163.9544)	1 (176)	9 (170.2628)
Mar 8, 2019	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Nashville, TN	45 / 67 (661.0284)	55 (160.5256)	35 (167.4172)	23 (170.8228)	52 (162.2628)
Aug 10, 2018	Smokin in McMinnville McMinnville, TN	24 / 28 (638.1712)	12 (169.7028)	26 (146.8344)	16 (166.8228)	24 (154.8112)
May 11, 2018	Roman Roast on the River Rome, GA	33 / 39 (665.5540)	33 (167.3828)	38 (160.5028)	11 (173.7028)	31 (163.9656)
Jun 16, 2017	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Alpharetta, GA	27 / 28 (635.7940)	27 (159.3484)	8 (171.9772)	27 (158.2056)	28 (146.2628)
Aug 23, 2013	Flinthills Beef Fest BBQ Emporia, KS	23 / 26 (624.4684)	24 (153.1656)	11 (164.5828)	24 (153.0628)	21 (153.6572)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

CHOOCHOO BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

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 (16 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Perfect scores on the board

Happy hunting ground

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An April team

The long haul

The metronome

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)