Fire Ants BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#6407

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1332

peak 1332 · rated over 38 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-10

latest 2025-07-25

Best ToY finish

#652

Master 2024

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

3 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 38 contests

Avg finish

top 81%

overall standings

Best overall

655.8632 / 720

Master · Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1)

Perfect 180s

Current form

629.78 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 606.42 (+23.37)

Walk rate

16%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

173.7600

Chicken · New Holland Summer Fest

Consistency

±26.94

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 153.64 · weakest Chicken (149.05)

Road miles

2,556

mi across 38 mapped stops · furthest 93 mi

Schedule strength

29%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1540)

Purse competed for

$94K

listed at 13 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 13 state-championship entries

Master avg

606.42 / 720

38 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (10 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Estancia has finished one call ahead of Fire Ants BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2013 their best year

2013 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 65%.

5 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 65%

A tough matchup

30–0 behind in the head-to-head

Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit ahead in 100% of their meetings

Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit has come out ahead in 30 of their 30 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.6 points behind their best meat

Chicken is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.59 points below their pork, and turns into a call 8% of the time against 5%.

Chicken avg 149.05
Pork avg 153.64
3 calls in 38 entries

A strong matchup

5–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BIG BAD WOLVES in 5 of their 5 shared contests.

The comeback

3.2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3.2 years, then back at New Holland Summer Fest (2021-08-27).

last seen 2018-06-01
back 2021-08-27

Pork nemesis

26 of 30 shared pork entries lost

Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit ahead 87% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit has out-cooked them in 26 of 30 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Tom Tom Bob A Que has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A July team

Top 62% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 62% across 6 contests, versus top 81% the rest of the year.

6 July contests
top 81% the rest of the year

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked New Holland Summer Fest every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.

9 visits in all
best finish 33rd

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

THE SMOKIN' GRILL

#6406 of the rated field

1332 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1332

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 21 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2022-07-07

⚔ Head-to-head

Pig In or Pig Out

#6408 of the rated field

1331 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1331

No shared contest yet.

Fewer contests behind them than Fire Ants BBQ has cooked, 26 to 38, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 26 contests
last seen 2026-04-25

⚔ Head-to-head

Pappy's Q

#6404 of the rated field

1337 ▲ 5 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1505

4–1 in 5 shared contests (80% to Fire Ants BBQ)

These two have cooked 5 of the same contests — Fire Ants BBQ ahead 4–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 20 contests
last seen 2026-07-25

⚔ Head-to-head

Up in Smoke

#6405 of the rated field

1336 ▲ 5 power rating

Contests: 54
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1501

No shared contest yet.

54 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 6% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 52 contests
last seen 2026-04-17

⚔ Head-to-head

DUSTY ROADS BBQ

#6403 of the rated field

1338 ▲ 6 power rating

Contests: 63
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1338

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 63 contests
last seen 2026-06-05

⚔ Head-to-head

A 2 Z

#6402 of the rated field

1346 ▲ 14 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1346

2–3 in 5 shared contests (40% to Fire Ants BBQ)

Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 4 years before Fire Ants BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 23 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	30	0	30	0%	⚔ compare
WEEKEND SMOKERS	21	3	18	14%	⚔ compare
PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ	21	1	20	5%	⚔ compare
Palm tree smokehouse	20	4	16	20%	⚔ compare
SMOKOPOLIS BBQ	20	1	19	5%	⚔ compare
SHADY CREW	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' TEX BBQ	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
BEERBEQUE	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
WILBUR'S REVENGE	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
PIGHEADED BBQ	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
LO' -N- SLO' BBQ	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
DRILLING & GRILLING	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
THE BBQ GURU	15	0	15	0%	⚔ compare
QUEGASM	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
Dr. Pearl's Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	38	3	1	173.7600	20.0000	149.05	top 77%
Pork Ribs	38	1	0	170.8344	137.0516	150.84	top 77%
Pork	38	2	1	171.4172	131.9428	153.64	top 70%
Brisket	38	1	1	169.7256	133.6572	152.89	top 64%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	Avg finish
PA	26	top 85%
NJ	11	top 71%
MD	1	top 80%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	9	0	top 89%
Large (40+)	29	0	top 78%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
New Holland Summer Fest	9	33	top 85%	2024-08-23
New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	5	21	top 58%	2023-07-14
*Que by the Sea	5	22	top 79%	2017-09-22
Que for the Troops	4	23	top 78%	2018-06-01
York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)	3	23	top 86%	2025-06-27
Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1)	3	28	top 98%	2025-05-16
Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition	2	32	top 78%	2016-05-06

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 12.2 yrs 2013-05-10 → 2025-07-25

Busiest season 2017 5 contests

Contests a season 3.5 across 11 seasons in the data

Cooks most in PA 26 of 38 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 14 7 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 38 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 153.64 · weakest Chicken (149.05)

Walk rate 16% a top-10 call in 6 of 38 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 38 contests

Master average 606.42 out of 720 · 38 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 642 420–1,655 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2,556 38 mapped stops · furthest 93 mi

Schedule strength 1540 average field rating faced — tougher than 29% of rated contests

Purse competed for $94,425 listed at 13 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 13 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 3.2 yrs 2018-06-01 → 2021-08-27

Power rating 1332 peak 1332 · #6407 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
May 10 First tracked contest Green Lane Fire CO's
May 31 First call Que for the Troops
Jul 12 Peak power rating (1500) New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
2014
Sep 20 10th tracked contest Que by the Sea
2015
Aug 28 Career-best single call (Chicken)173.7600 New Holland Summer Fest
2018
Jun 1 25th tracked contest Que for the Troops
2023
Jul 14 First overall past 90% of a perfect score650.1256 New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
2025
Jul 25 Career-best overall score655.8632 Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1)
Jul 25 Most recent contest Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+9	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	2023-07-14
+6.5	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	2013-07-12
+3.6	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1)	2025-07-25
+3.5	Que by the Sea	2015-09-19
+2.6	New Holland Summer Fest	2015-08-28

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.3	New Holland Summer Fest	2013-08-23
-12	Que for the Troops	2014-06-06
-10.6	New Holland Summer Fest	2016-08-26
-9.5	Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition	2016-05-06
-9.4	Que by the Sea	2014-09-20

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2025	3	0%	top 88%	91.1%	88.3%
2024	4	50%	top 88%	89.9%	87.3%
2023	4	0%	top 78%	90.3%	87.3%
2022	1	0%	top 94%	83.8%	83.8%
2021	1	0%	top 91%	83.5%	83.5%
2018	1	0%	top 72%	87.4%	87.4%
2017	5	0%	top 87%	84%	83.3%
2016	5	0%	top 93%	84.8%	79.1%
2015	4	50%	top 69%	87.4%	85.2%
2014	5	0%	top 75%	84.8%	83.1%
2013	5	40%	top 65%	85.4%	82.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2025-07-25	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	23 / 30 (655.8632)	28 (158.2172)	15 (168.5604)	15 (171.4172)	26 (157.6684)
2025-06-27	York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA	23 / 26 (639.8284)	26 (145.0856)	13 (168.5372)	17 (163.9428)	17 (162.2628)
2025-05-16	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA	28 / 28 (612.4000)	28 (139.9656)	28 (147.3716)	23 (161.0856)	18 (163.9772)
2024-10-18	Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) 🏅 Columbia, NJ	27 / 28 (615.2460)	27 (156.0116)	26 (155.9428)	22 (157.6572)	28 (145.6344)
2024-10-04	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA	22 / 25 (625.5776)	19 (162.2628)	21 (157.6916)	23 (153.0744)	21 (152.5488)
2024-08-23	New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA	33 / 38 (627.2916)	26 (167.3828)	8 (170.8344)	38 (136.5716)	33 (152.5028)
2024-06-28	York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA	23 / 29 (647.2916)	10 (170.8572)	24 (162.8344)	27 (157.0856)	25 (156.5144)
2023-08-25	New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA	37 / 44 (615.2112)	41 (152.5028)	37 (155.3600)	30 (157.6912)	39 (149.6572)
2023-07-14	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ	29 / 64 (650.1256)	27 (165.7028)	36 (162.2400)	15 (169.1200)	44 (153.0628)
2023-06-16	York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA	26 / 29 (623.8400)	26 (159.4172)	28 (151.3484)	25 (155.9544)	20 (157.1200)
2023-05-19	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke 🏅 Morgantown, PA	35 / 37 (624.3884)	29 (157.1428)	35 (151.9200)	21 (163.4056)	33 (151.9200)
2022-08-26	New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA	46 / 49 (603.2004)	36 (162.8344)	47 (143.3600)	48 (146.7772)	40 (150.2288)
2021-08-27	New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA	40 / 44 (600.9372)	39 (151.4172)	22 (158.2172)	41 (146.2056)	39 (145.0972)
2018-06-01	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	44 / 61 (629.0744)	60 (145.6800)	44 (154.2744)	26 (161.1200)	12 (168.0000)
2017-09-22	*Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ	36 / 43 (605.0172)	36 (157.1200)	38 (149.7144)	37 (148.5372)	31 (149.6456)
2017-08-25	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	61 / 69 (603.2912)	53 (152.5712)	69 (137.0516)	60 (149.7028)	25 (163.9656)
2017-07-07	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	46 / 67 (603.4056)	56 (147.4400)	52 (146.8572)	35 (156.0112)	30 (153.0972)
2017-06-02	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	61 / 63 (581.6232)	63 (136.5716)	59 (142.7772)	34 (157.6800)	53 (144.5944)
2017-05-19	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke Morgantown, PA	52 / 53 (604.4116)	53 (150.8000)	35 (159.9544)	52 (131.9428)	24 (161.7144)
2016-09-17	* Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ	40 / 44 (580.5148)	42 (138.2172)	33 (149.1888)	38 (145.1200)	29 (147.9888)
2016-08-26	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	65 / 66 (499.4400)	66 (20.0000)	45 (156.5600)	27 (163.4400)	23 (159.4400)
2016-07-08	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	59 / 65 (569.6112)	56 (144.5140)	59 (137.1200)	54 (145.7144)	42 (142.2628)
2016-06-03	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	59 / 67 (610.7316)	45 (157.7372)	63 (142.1944)	54 (151.9200)	27 (158.8800)
2016-05-06	Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition Greenlane, PA	45 / 47 (588.4112)	47 (138.2512)	40 (148.5372)	39 (151.9656)	39 (149.6572)
2015-09-19	Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ	22 / 41 (625.6456)	40 (141.0744)	21 (157.1200)	20 (157.7256)	2 (169.7256)
2015-08-28	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	38 / 70 (629.1316)	3 (173.7600)	65 (143.4172)	49 (153.6800)	32 (158.2744)
2015-08-14	14th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	37 / 46 (606.8000)	43 (147.4056)	39 (148.5716)	37 (157.7028)	29 (153.1200)
2015-05-08	Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition & Festival Green Lane, PA	49 / 57 (591.9884)	53 (145.7028)	44 (150.8456)	40 (152.5600)	46 (142.8800)
2014-09-20	Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ	43 / 48 (588.4684)	26 (155.4284)	41 (145.7144)	39 (150.2400)	44 (137.0856)
2014-08-22	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	55 / 70 (605.6228)	15 (166.2972)	62 (144.5600)	53 (150.8000)	57 (143.9656)
2014-07-11	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	36 / 65 (607.9084)	56 (145.1084)	41 (149.7144)	33 (153.6800)	18 (159.4056)
2014-06-06	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	61 / 65 (580.4572)	63 (138.8116)	56 (143.4056)	52 (150.8456)	43 (147.3944)
2014-05-09	Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition Green Lane, PA	32 / 54 (610.7544)	32 (153.6684)	43 (141.0860)	27 (156.5828)	16 (159.4172)
2013-09-21	Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ	38 / 49 (579.9200)	41 (142.2628)	37 (139.9772)	3 (164.0228)	43 (133.6572)
2013-08-23	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	65 / 71 (579.3028)	63 (147.4284)	58 (146.2516)	68 (135.9200)	48 (149.7028)
2013-07-12	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	21 / 65 (614.7660)	23 (157.7144)	24 (153.1200)	44 (147.9772)	18 (155.9544)
2013-05-31	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	23 / 46 (612.5712)	9 (161.1426)	38 (140.5716)	8 (163.4286)	30 (147.4284)
2013-05-10	Green Lane Fire CO's Green Lane, PA	43 / 58 (593.7142)	43 (150.2856)	34 (149.1428)	51 (140.0000)	23 (154.2858)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2025 ↗	Master	#734 (179 pts)	#860 (159 pts)	#687 (269 pts)	#642 (259 pts)	#669 (234 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#652 (242 pts)	#591 (322 pts)	#616 (337 pts)	#686 (242 pts)	#696 (237 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#668 (234 pts)	#724 (234 pts)	#801 (234 pts)	#600 (304 pts)	#666 (259 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1589 (150 pts)	#1453 (200 pts)	#1653 (150 pts)	#1668 (150 pts)	#1488 (185 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1440 (156 pts)	#1218 (231 pts)	#1647 (146 pts)	#1193 (241 pts)	#1478 (156 pts)