The heartbreaker
0.0116
points from the title
Came within 0.0116 points of the Grand Championship at Loudoun Rotary BBQ Classic (BACKYARD ONLY) (Jun 5, 2026).
Clean Smoke BBQ Team
Clean Smoke BBQ Team is a competition barbecue team with 40 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2025 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Bear-B-Q (2026), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1082 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1596
peak 1612 · rated over 31 contests3 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
40
in the data
First seen
Mar 21, 2025
latest Aug 21, 2026 · 1.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
1 reserve · wins it all 3% of the time
Category wins
4
11 podiums
Overall top-10s
16
40% of 40 contests
Best top-10 run
7
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 51%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
340.62 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 338.13 (+2.49)
Walk rate
55%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±10.84
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 168.48 · weakest Pork (159.71)
Road miles
5,773
across 40 mapped stops · furthest 738 mi
Schedule strength
77%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1600)
Purse competed for
$197K
listed at 29 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 30 state-championship entries
Master avg
602.17 / 720
7 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
338.13 / 360
26 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 | #20 (1,112 pts) | #5 (1,259 pts) | #18 (1,152 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #633 (221 pts) | #466 (423 pts) | #431 (527 pts) | #727 (171 pts) | #450 (416 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #90 (633 pts) | #91 (625 pts) | #85 (706 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #576 (286 pts) | #447 (517 pts) | #478 (480 pts) | #712 (219 pts) | #676 (229 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Clean Smoke BBQ Team, each with one reason worth a look.
38 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,088 of the rated field
- Contests
- 41
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1596
6–10 in 16 shared contests (38% to Clean Smoke BBQ Team)
These two have cooked 16 of the same contests — Castleton Q ahead 10–6 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,083 of the rated field
- Contests
- 47
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 51%
- Peak
- 1610
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Clean Smoke BBQ Team)
Careers of much the same size, 47 contests to 40, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,080 of the rated field
- Contests
- 62
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1610
3–4 in 7 shared contests (43% to Clean Smoke BBQ Team)
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 62 contests, alongside a 27% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,086 of the rated field
- Contests
- 31
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1596
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 31 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#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 Clean Smoke BBQ Team's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,079 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 54%
- Peak
- 1621
They were already cooking in 2013, 12 years before Clean Smoke BBQ Team's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRE & SHINE BBQ | 25 | 8 | 17 | 32% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 23 | 6 | 14 | 26% | ⚔ compare |
| OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | 22 | 8 | 13 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| Dogpatch Q | 19 | 8 | 11 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| Capt. Blue BBQ | 19 | 4 | 15 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| Leaning Jowler BBQ | 19 | 2 | 17 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| Castleton Q | 16 | 6 | 10 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| Pinky Out BBQ | 16 | 6 | 10 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| The Swine Doctor's BBQ | 16 | 5 | 11 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| B'S QUE | 16 | 2 | 13 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Optimus Swine | 15 | 6 | 8 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | 15 | 5 | 10 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| All About the Wood | 14 | 6 | 8 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | 14 | 6 | 8 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| BEER TIME BBQ | 14 | 5 | 8 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 35 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 180 🔥 | 145.0972 | 168.48 | top 52% |
| Pork Ribs | 37 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 178.8572 | 150.2744 | 167.11 | top 53% |
| Pork | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 173.1200 | 150.7656 | 159.71 | top 77% |
| Brisket | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 176.0228 | 138.8232 | 160.92 | 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) | 8 | 0 | top 76% |
| Medium (20–39) | 16 | 1 | top 47% |
| Large (40+) | 9 | 0 | top 37% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 4 | 10 | 0 | top 68% | Jul 25, 2026 |
| York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 4 | 11 | 0 | top 94% | Jun 13, 2026 |
| BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) | 3 | 4 | 0 | top 31% | Mar 28, 2026 |
| Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 63% | Aug 21, 2026 |
| Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 50% | May 16, 2026 |
| Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 52% | Aug 9, 2025 |
| Devils Backbone BBQ Championship (Day 2) | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 100% | Jun 7, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
23 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
20
across 2 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
VA
17 of 40 contests · 7 states in all
Contests visited
21
7 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
37 entries · 2 wins · 14 calls
First title
May 1, 2026
Bear-B-Q
Opponents faced
626
finished ahead 945 times, behind 779
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20269 milestones
- First overall podium 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam
- 25th tracked contest BBQ Gives Back (Day 2)
- First Grand Championship Bear-B-Q
- First state championship Bear-B-Q
- First Reserve Championship Loudoun Rotary BBQ Classic (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) Loudoun Rotary BBQ Classic (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Peak power rating (1612) York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
- Career-best overall score683.9084 Battle of the Blue Ridge
- Most recent contest Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff
20256 milestones
- First tracked contest BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score329.1088 York County BBQ Festival (Day 2)
- 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2)
- First call Triple Crown BBQ (Day 1)
- First overall top-10 Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2)
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.5 | 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam | Jan 9, 2026 |
| +15.9 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | Nov 14, 2025 |
| +15.5 | Bear-B-Q | May 1, 2026 |
| +15.1 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) | Mar 27, 2026 |
| +14 | Lakeland Pig Festival | Jan 22, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.4 | Smokin' in the Pines | Mar 28, 2025 |
| -10.3 | Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff | Aug 21, 2026 |
| -10.2 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jun 27, 2025 |
| -8.7 | Devils Backbone BBQ Championship (Day 1) | Jun 6, 2025 |
| -8 | Devils Backbone BBQ Championship (Day 2) | Jun 7, 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 | 23 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 74% | top 37% | 98.6% | 94.9% |
| 2025 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 29% | top 74% | 97.1% | 87% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Edinburg, VA | 23 / 26 (663.9088) | 11 (170.8344) | 25 (160.5372) | 25 (159.9544) | 8 (172.5828) |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Battle of the Blue Ridge 🏅 Swannanoa, NC | 17 / 41 (683.9084) | 17 (173.1200) | 11 (174.2628) | 38 (160.5028) | 4 (176.0228) |
| Jul 25, 2026 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 10 / 39 (343.3828) | — | 7 (172.5600) | — | — |
| Jul 24, 2026 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 27 / 43 (329.0284) | 22 (166.2400) | 27 (162.7884) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2026 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 13 / 13 (339.3600) | 18 (167.3944) | 8 (171.9656) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 11 / 25 (339.3600) | 12 (168.5372) | 9 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jun 5, 2026 | Loudoun Rotary BBQ Classic (BACKYARD ONLY) Leesburg, VA | 2 / 12 (351.9656) | 1 (180) | 5 (171.9656) | 4 (173.1200) | — |
| May 24, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 9 / 82 (350.8228) | 8 (176.5600) | 14 (174.2628) | — | — |
| May 23, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 108 / 117 (668.4800) | 14 (177.7144) | 104 (165.6800) | 115 (158.2056) | 89 (166.8800) |
| May 22, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Rib Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 50 (171.9772) | — | — |
| May 16, 2026 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 13 / 17 (331.9316) | 12 (169.6800) | 17 (162.2516) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 6 / 25 (342.2516) | 2 (176.5716) | 15 (165.6800) | — | — |
| May 1, 2026 | Bear-B-Q 🏅 New Bern, NC | 1 / 26 (341.6572) | 2 (174.2628) | 2 (167.3944) | — | — |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 4 / 20 (347.3944) | 8 (168.5372) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Rekindled Ironman 🏅 Seven Valleys, PA | 5 / 14 (339.3716) | 6 (168.5488) | 4 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Mar 28, 2026 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 7 / 36 (341.6572) | 1 (177.7028) | 14 (163.9544) | — | — |
| Mar 27, 2026 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 4 / 40 (341.6572) | 11 (168.5256) | 3 (173.1316) | — | — |
| Mar 27, 2026 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Urbanna, VA | — | 18 (168.5256) | — | — | — |
| Mar 27, 2026 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT RIBS) Urbanna, VA | — | — | 3 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Mar 6, 2026 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 14 / 44 (340.4912) | 16 (168.5256) | 12 (171.9656) | — | — |
| Feb 20, 2026 | Ribs on the Ridge 🏅 Haines City, FL | 5 / 32 (343.3828) | 3 (174.8456) | 8 (168.5372) | 11 (163.3828) | 4 (166.2284) |
| Jan 22, 2026 | Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL | 8 / 63 (342.8228) | 10 (170.2628) | 13 (172.5600) | 45 (151.8628) | 36 (155.3028) |
| Jan 9, 2026 | 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam 🏅 St. Augustine, FL | 3 / 38 (354.8456) | 2 (179.4400) | 6 (175.4056) | 17 (167.3944) | 15 (163.9428) |
| Nov 14, 2025 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 7 / 56 (349.6800) | 10 (173.1200) | 4 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Oct 10, 2025 | MD State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 8 / 29 (334.8000) | 6 (173.1544) | 20 (161.6456) | — | — |
| Aug 22, 2025 | Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Edinburg, VA | 6 / 16 (339.3944) | 14 (163.3944) | 1 (176) | — | — |
| Aug 9, 2025 | Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2) 🏅 Doswell, VA | 8 / 25 (339.4400) | 10 (170.2972) | 7 (169.1428) | — | — |
| Aug 8, 2025 | Triple Crown BBQ (Day 1) 🏅 Doswell, VA | 18 / 25 (329.6684) | 9 (173.1200) | 20 (156.5484) | — | — |
| Aug 8, 2025 | Triple Crown BBQ (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Doswell, VA | — | 12 (160.5144) | — | — | — |
| Aug 8, 2025 | Triple Crown BBQ (ONE MEAT RIBS) Doswell, VA | — | — | 12 (158.2516) | — | — |
| Jul 26, 2025 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 23 / 27 (318.2172) | 23 (158.2400) | 20 (159.9772) | — | — |
| Jul 25, 2025 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 29 / 30 (326.8116) | 29 (162.2744) | 23 (164.5372) | — | — |
| Jun 28, 2025 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 14 / 10 (329.1088) | 15 (165.1660) | 14 (163.9428) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 24 / 26 (610.1260) | 13 (170.2628) | 24 (150.2744) | 26 (150.7656) | 25 (138.8232) |
| Jun 7, 2025 | Devils Backbone BBQ Championship (Day 2) 🏅 Roseland, VA | 18 / 18 (630.7316) | 17 (160.5716) | 17 (165.7028) | 18 (154.7884) | 18 (149.6688) |
| Jun 6, 2025 | Devils Backbone BBQ Championship (Day 1) 🏅 Roseland, VA | 15 / 15 (636.4000) | 15 (157.0744) | 15 (163.3828) | 15 (157.0856) | 13 (158.8572) |
| Mar 28, 2025 | Smokin' in the Pines 🏅 Carthage, NC | 22 / 22 (321.6112) | 20 (163.9312) | 22 (157.6800) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 28 / 45 (302.8116) | 28 (145.0972) | 24 (157.7144) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Urbanna, VA | — | 23 (154.8228) | — | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT RIBS) Urbanna, VA | — | — | 17 (157.6916) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.