Giant slayer
32
teams beaten in one weekend
Took the Grand Championship over a 32-team field at Tri City BBQ Fest.
- Sep 15, 2023
Backroad BBQ
Backroad BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 12 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2025. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Tri City BBQ Fest (2023). They are ranked #2499 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1520
peak 1528 · rated over 11 contests
Contests
12
in the data
First seen
Jun 17, 2016
latest Jul 18, 2025 · 9.1 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
0 reserve · wins it all 8% of the time
Category wins
0
1 podium
Overall top-10s
2
17% of 12 contests
Avg finish
top 52%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
335.50 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 333.48 (+2.02)
Walk rate
50%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±7.35
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 166.26 · weakest Pork (158.43)
Road miles
2,211
across 12 mapped stops · furthest 764 mi
Schedule strength
60%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1576)
Purse competed for
$95K
listed at 10 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 10 state-championship entries
Master avg
650.62 / 720
5 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
333.48 / 360
6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #368 (60 pts) | #369 (65 pts) | #380 (60 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #1108 (70 pts) | #1131 (85 pts) | #983 (130 pts) | #1451 (55 pts) | #1058 (95 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #163 (344 pts) | #141 (449 pts) | #168 (329 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1136 (70 pts) | #879 (155 pts) | #1105 (115 pts) | #1231 (60 pts) | #1011 (110 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #174 (273 pts) | #172 (288 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #852 (152 pts) | #903 (157 pts) | #944 (172 pts) | #912 (142 pts) | #789 (197 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Backroad BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
79 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,494 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 22%
- Peak
- 1524
1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to Backroad BBQ)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Backroad BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,508 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 42%
- Peak
- 1522
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#2,501 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1531
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 8 years before Backroad BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,497 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1520
Careers of much the same size, 9 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#2,492 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1520
14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 21% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#2,507 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1531
They turned up 8 years after Backroad BBQ did, first appearing in 2024.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucknutz BBQ | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM CRAWFORD | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT DADDY'S BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin Suckers | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEHOUSE 72 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ Pit Bros | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| UGLY BABY BBQ | 6 | 4 | 1 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin A BBQ | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| GRILLIN' GRINDES | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| WHEN PIGS DIE | 5 | 3 | 1 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Low Eye Que | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 174.8456 | 145.0972 | 166.26 | top 44% |
| Pork Ribs | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 173.1544 | 149.1544 | 164.87 | top 49% |
| Pork | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163.9544 | 155.9428 | 158.43 | top 73% |
| Brisket | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170.2628 | 156.5716 | 163.39 | top 56% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 7 | 1 | top 54% |
| Large (40+) | 4 | 0 | top 46% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 3 | 21 | 0 | top 54% | Apr 4, 2025 |
| Tri City BBQ Fest | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 10% | Sep 20, 2024 |
| Shenandoah ShenDig | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 70% | Jul 18, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
4 contests
Contests a season
2.4
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IA
9 of 12 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
7
3 of them more than once
First title
Sep 15, 2023
Tri City BBQ Fest
Opponents faced
316
finished ahead 287 times, behind 283
Longest layoff
6.8 yrs
Jun 17, 2016 → Mar 31, 2023
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20251 milestone
- Most recent contest Shenandoah ShenDig
20244 milestones
- Career-best single call (Chicken)174.8456 Minnesota in May
- Career-best overall score675.3488 Shenandoah ShenDig BBQ
- 10th tracked contest Tri City BBQ Fest
- Peak power rating (1528) Tri City BBQ Fest
20237 milestones
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.1260 Ditmars Red White & Blue BBQ
- First call Tri City BBQ Fest
- First overall top-10 Tri City BBQ Fest
- First overall podium Tri City BBQ Fest
- First Grand Championship Tri City BBQ Fest
- First state championship Tri City BBQ Fest
- Biggest field won (32 teams) Tri City BBQ Fest
20131 milestone
- First tracked contest The National BBQ Cup (GBC Qualifier)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +19 | Tri City BBQ Fest | Sep 15, 2023 |
| +11.4 | Tri City BBQ Fest | Sep 20, 2024 |
| +10.7 | Minnesota in May | May 10, 2024 |
| +2.1 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Mar 31, 2023 |
| +1.6 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Mar 29, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -7.4 | Smoke on the water-Annual Carlton Landing BBQ Competition | Jun 17, 2016 |
| -4.5 | Shenandoah ShenDig | Jul 18, 2025 |
| -3.8 | Ditmars Red White & Blue BBQ | Jun 30, 2023 |
| -3.6 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Apr 4, 2025 |
| -2.9 | Shenandoah ShenDig BBQ | Jul 19, 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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 67% | 93.5% | 92.1% |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 40% | 94.8% | 93.4% |
| 2023 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 25% | top 47% | 95.6% | 91.4% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 84% | 84.3% | 84.3% |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2025 | Shenandoah ShenDig 🏅 Shenandoah, IA | 22 / 30 (673.0400) | 19 (169.7028) | 10 (173.1544) | 27 (163.9544) | 17 (166.2284) |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 30 / 49 (326.2404) | 24 (166.8344) | 32 (159.4060) | — | — |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Tri City BBQ Fest 🏅 Denison, IA | 5 / 30 (332.5028) | 7 (162.2284) | 4 (170.2744) | — | — |
| Jul 19, 2024 | Shenandoah ShenDig BBQ 🏅 Shenandoah, IA | 23 / 36 (675.3488) | 8 (173.7144) | 14 (173.1200) | 32 (158.2516) | 15 (170.2628) |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 13 / 58 (341.1084) | 6 (174.8456) | 20 (166.2628) | 13 (155.9772) | — |
| Mar 29, 2024 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 24 / 42 (333.6688) | 10 (171.9772) | 35 (161.6916) | — | — |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Tri City BBQ Fest 🏅 Denison, IA | 1 / 32 (344) | 4 (170.8456) | 2 (173.1544) | — | — |
| Jul 21, 2023 | Shenandoah ShenDig 🏅 Shenandoah, IA | 25 / 37 (643.8056) | 26 (163.3828) | 25 (162.2284) | 33 (155.9544) | 20 (162.2400) |
| Jun 30, 2023 | Ditmars Red White & Blue BBQ 🏅 Council Bluffs, IA | 16 / 22 (654.1260) | 15 (167.3944) | 12 (164.5600) | 18 (160.5144) | 12 (161.6572) |
| Mar 31, 2023 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 21 / 47 (323.3716) | 18 (162.8344) | 26 (160.5372) | — | — |
| Jun 17, 2016 | Smoke on the water-Annual Carlton Landing BBQ Competition Carlton Landing, OK | 26 / 31 (606.7660) | 31 (145.0972) | 26 (149.1544) | 20 (155.9428) | 22 (156.5716) |
| Nov 15, 2013 | The National BBQ Cup (GBC Qualifier) Cumming, GA | — | — | — | — | — |