LOCOMOTIVE #1

LOCOMOTIVE #1 is a competition barbecue team with 9 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 50th of 57 at the BBQ & Fly-In on the River (2023). They are ranked #6222 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Locomotive 1”.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#6,222

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1419

peak 1419 · rated over 9 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Aug 14, 2015

latest Aug 15, 2025 · 10 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#856

Master 2020 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 9 contests

Avg finish

top 96%

overall standings

Best overall

617.5656 / 720

Master · BBQ & Fly-In on the River

Perfect 180s

Current form

574.13 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 584.93 (-10.80)

Walk rate

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

162.9028

Chicken · BBQ and Fly In on the River

Consistency

±43.23

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 156.90 · weakest Brisket (144.38)

Road miles

across 9 mapped stops

Schedule strength

81%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1605)

Purse competed for

$44K

listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 5 state-championship entries

Master avg

584.93 / 720

9 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (6 found in their record)

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

A tough matchup

9–0 behind in the head-to-head

SLAPS BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

SLAPS BBQ has come out ahead in 9 of their 9 shared contests.

The weak link

−12.5 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 12.52 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 0%.

Brisket avg 144.38
Pork Ribs avg 156.90
0 calls in 9 entries

The comeback

3 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3 years, then back at BBQ & Fly-In on the River (Aug 18, 2023).

last seen Aug 14, 2020
back Aug 18, 2023

Pork Ribs nemesis

8 of 8 shared pork ribs entries lost

SLAPS BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SLAPS BBQ has out-cooked them in 8 of 8 shared pork ribs entries.

They cook the hard rooms

1605 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 81% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1605 power rating — a tougher draw than 81% of every rated contest in the data.

9 rated contests

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked BBQ and Fly In on the River every year from 2015 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 52nd

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
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#899 (60 pts)	#883 (60 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1955 (60 pts)	#2049 (60 pts)	—	#2029 (60 pts)	#2010 (60 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#2212 (60 pts)	#2286 (60 pts)	#2304 (60 pts)	#2260 (60 pts)	#2266 (60 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to LOCOMOTIVE #1, 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.

GRILLHEADS

#6,219 of the rated field

1419 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1419

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Sep 10, 2021

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Mountain Grillas

#6,223 of the rated field

1419 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1419

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 6 years before LOCOMOTIVE #1's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 10 contests

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NY PHAT DADDY'S

#6,216 of the rated field

1419 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1419

Careers of much the same size, 8 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Jul 7, 2017

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Smitty's BBQ

#6,225 of the rated field

1418 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1418

Level with LOCOMOTIVE #1 on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Jun 24, 2022

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SMOKIN IN THE BUSHES

#6,215 of the rated field

1419 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1419

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 6 years before LOCOMOTIVE #1's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 7 contests

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Tommy Boy Grillin

#6,217 of the rated field

1419 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1419

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 17% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Sep 4, 2026

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SLAPS BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
Smokin' The Rite Way	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
AMERICAN FIRE BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE THIS BBQ MO	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' SAUCED	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
ALL FORKED UP FOR Q	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
BRISKETBONE BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
KEEP CALM & SAUCE ON	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
MAN MEAT BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Bears Backyard Q	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
913 BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
S&S BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
4 LEGS UP BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
PIG NEWTON	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
T'S SMOKIN PIT	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	9	162.9028	138.7656	150.83	top 91%
Pork Ribs	8	162.2744	139.3372	156.90	top 84%
Pork	9	159.4172	142.8344	150.25	top 95%
Brisket	9	158.2628	121.5772	144.38	top 90%

“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.

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
BBQ and Fly In on the River	5	52	0	top 95%	Aug 16, 2019
BBQ & Fly-In on the River	4	50	0	top 96%	Aug 15, 2025

More numbers

Contests a season 1 across 9 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MO 9 of 9 contests

Contests visited 2 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 267 finished ahead 24 times, behind 518

Longest layoff 3 yrs Aug 14, 2020 → Aug 18, 2023

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

20251 milestone

Aug 15 Most recent contest BBQ & Fly-In on the River

20231 milestone

Aug 18 Career-best overall score617.5656 BBQ & Fly-In on the River

20191 milestone

Aug 16 Career-best single call (Chicken)162.9028 BBQ and Fly In on the River

20152 milestones

Aug 14 First tracked contest BBQ and Fly In on the River
Aug 14 Peak power rating (1490) BBQ and Fly In on the River

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

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.5	BBQ and Fly In on the River	Aug 14, 2015
-10	BBQ and Fly In on the River	Aug 16, 2019
-10	BBQ and Fly In on the River	Aug 18, 2017
-9.7	BBQ and Fly In on the River	Aug 19, 2016
-9.2	BBQ & Fly-In on the River	Aug 16, 2024

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2025	1	0%	top 100%	85.1%	85.1%
2024	1	0%	top 100%	78.5%	78.5%
2023	1	0%	top 88%	85.8%	85.8%
2020	1	0%	top 98%	83.9%	83.9%
2019	1	0%	top 100%	65.5%	65.5%
2018	1	0%	top 93%	81.2%	81.2%
2017	1	0%	top 97%	81.7%	81.7%
2016	1	0%	top 93%	85.5%	85.5%
2015	1	0%	top 91%	84%	84%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 15, 2025	BBQ & Fly-In on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO	62 / 62 (612.3772)	60 (153.0972)	54 (161.6800)	61 (149.0856)	62 (148.5144)
Aug 16, 2024	BBQ & Fly-In on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO	65 / 65 (565.4172)	64 (142.2172)	62 (153.6572)	65 (147.9656)	65 (121.5772)
Aug 18, 2023	BBQ & Fly-In on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO	50 / 57 (617.5656)	56 (138.7656)	44 (161.1200)	47 (159.4172)	41 (158.2628)
Aug 14, 2020	BBQ & Fly in on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO	54 / 55 (603.8860)	55 (148.5372)	46 (162.2744)	55 (142.8344)	51 (150.2400)
Aug 16, 2019	BBQ and Fly In on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO	68 / 68 (471.3940)	52 (162.9028)	—	66 (150.8112)	51 (157.6800)
Aug 17, 2018	BBQ and Fly In on the River (JUDGES FULL) Excelsior Springs, MO	53 / 57 (584.9716)	55 (146.8344)	54 (139.3372)	53 (151.9656)	50 (146.8344)
Aug 18, 2017	BBQ and Fly In on the River Excelsior Springs, MO	63 / 65 (587.8976)	60 (151.4172)	43 (161.7372)	63 (146.2400)	64 (128.5032)
Aug 19, 2016	BBQ and Fly In on the River Excelsior Springs, MO	52 / 56 (615.8400)	51 (153.1088)	45 (161.1200)	52 (154.8112)	50 (146.8000)
Aug 14, 2015	BBQ and Fly In on the River Excelsior Springs, MO	61 / 67 (604.9944)	44 (160.5716)	56 (154.2856)	64 (149.0856)	63 (141.0516)

LOCOMOTIVE #1

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 (6 found in their record)

A tough matchup

The weak link

The comeback

Pork Ribs nemesis

They cook the hard rooms

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

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)

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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)