Mates Nice Rack BBQ

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

Power ranking

#3427

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1495

peak 1518 · rated over 9 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2015-07-10

latest 2026-07-11

Best ToY finish

#927

Master 2026

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 9 contests

Avg finish

top 55%

overall standings

Best overall

658.2288 / 720

Master · New Jersey State Barbecue Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

632.63

last 5 Master vs avg 632.56 (+0.07)

Walk rate

56%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

173.1200

Chicken · New Jersey State Barbecue Championship

Consistency

±14.82

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 159.85 · weakest Pork Ribs (156.91)

Road miles

mi across 9 mapped stops

Schedule strength

16%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1523)

Purse competed for

$46K

listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 5 state-championship entries

Master avg

632.56 / 720

9 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 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

Philly Smoke has finished one call ahead of Mates Nice Rack BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

8–1 behind in the head-to-head

B'S QUE ahead in 89% of their meetings

B'S QUE has come out ahead in 8 of their 9 shared contests.

A strong matchup

9–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BIG BAD WOLVES in 9 of their 9 shared contests.

The comeback

4 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 4 years, then back at New Jersey State Barbecue Championship (2023-07-14).

last seen 2019-07-12
back 2023-07-14

Chicken nemesis

8 of 9 shared chicken entries lost

Palm tree smokehouse ahead 89% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Palm tree smokehouse has out-cooked them in 8 of 9 shared chicken entries.

The metronome

±2.06% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.06% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 87.9% of a perfect score
9 contests

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked New Jersey State Barbecue Championship every year from 2015 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

9 visits in all
best finish 6th

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.

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

Black Sail BBQ

#3444 of the rated field

1494 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1501

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2026-07-24

⚔ Head-to-head

SPANKY & THE MEAT MAFIA

#3438 of the rated field

1494 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1513

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 9 years before Mates Nice Rack BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 10 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

MEATWAGON BBQ

#3423 of the rated field

1495 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1522

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2015.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2016-06-10

⚔ Head-to-head

BIG MOOK'S BBQ

#3448 of the rated field

1494 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1500

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2015-05-29

⚔ Head-to-head

Popping Smoke Barbecue

#3430 of the rated field

1494 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1506

No shared contest yet.

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 2024-08-23

⚔ Head-to-head

Three Little Pigs

#3436 of the rated field

1494 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1494

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2021-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
BIG BAD WOLVES	9	9	0	100%	⚔ compare
Palm tree smokehouse	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
B'S QUE	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
LOCAL SMOKE BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
Philly Smoke	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
Bar B Q Dat	8	7	1	88%	⚔ compare
SWINE AND CHEESE	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
PACKANACK LAKE BBQ CLUB	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
PHAT BASTERDZ BBQ	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
SIR-PORK'S-ALOT BBQ	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
POP POP'S RIBS	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
Tom Tom Bob A Que	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	9	1	0	173.1200	154.2972	159.85	top 57%
Pork Ribs	9	2	0	168.0000	142.1832	156.91	top 54%
Pork	9	2	1	171.9772	139.9200	157.29	top 58%
Brisket	9	0	0	166.8572	149.1088	158.51	top 44%

“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.

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	9	6	0	top 55%	2026-07-11

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

On the trail 11 yrs 2015-07-10 → 2026-07-11

Busiest season 2026 1 contest

Contests a season 1 across 9 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NJ 9 of 9 contests

Contests visited 1 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 9 entries · 0 wins · 1 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 159.85 · weakest Pork Ribs (156.91)

Walk rate 56% a top-10 call in 5 of 9 contests

Overall top-10 rate 11% 1 of 9 contests

Master average 632.56 out of 720 · 9 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 216 261–306 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2 9 mapped stops

Schedule strength 1523 average field rating faced — tougher than 16% of rated contests

Purse competed for $46,400 listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 5 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 4 yrs 2019-07-12 → 2023-07-14

Power rating 1495 peak 1518 · #3427 of 6,413 rated

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

2015
Jul 10 First tracked contest New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
Jul 10 First call New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
2018
Jul 14 First overall top-10 New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
Jul 14 First overall past 90% of a perfect score658.2288 New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
Jul 14 Career-best overall score658.2288 New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
Jul 14 Peak power rating (1518) New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
2025
Jul 12 Career-best single call (Chicken)173.1200 New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
2026
Jul 11 Most recent contest New Jersey State Barbecue Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.2	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	2018-07-14
+10.9	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	2017-07-07

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6.8	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	2019-07-12
-6.6	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	2026-07-11
-4.3	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	2015-07-10
-3.8	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	2025-07-12
-3.3	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	2023-07-14

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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	0%	top 74%	87.8%	87.8%
2025	1	0	100%	top 65%	87.6%	87.6%
2024	1	0	0%	top 63%	89.2%	89.2%
2023	1	0	100%	top 63%	88.9%	88.9%
2019	1	0	0%	top 72%	85.9%	85.9%
2018	1	1	100%	top 9%	91.4%	91.4%
2017	1	0	100%	top 21%	89.7%	89.7%
2016	1	0	0%	top 62%	85.3%	85.3%
2015	1	0	100%	top 66%	84.9%	84.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026-07-11	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ	46 / 62 (631.8288)	47 (159.9544)	54 (153.7028)	38 (162.8000)	47 (155.3716)
2025-07-12	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ	41 / 63 (630.6172)	10 (173.1200)	54 (147.3488)	41 (158.7884)	42 (151.3600)
2024-07-13	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ	39 / 62 (642.1716)	49 (155.3944)	28 (164.5372)	45 (157.0972)	25 (165.1428)
2023-07-14	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ	40 / 64 (639.8748)	46 (159.4056)	62 (142.1832)	7 (171.4288)	13 (166.8572)
2019-07-12	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ	46 / 64 (618.6512)	42 (157.6684)	38 (156.5144)	63 (143.9428)	26 (160.5256)
2018-07-14	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	6 / 64 (658.2288)	24 (161.1544)	19 (161.6800)	3 (171.9772)	13 (163.4172)
2017-07-07	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	14 / 67 (646.1600)	26 (161.6800)	8 (162.2628)	33 (157.0856)	14 (165.1316)
2016-07-08	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	40 / 65 (614.1832)	34 (155.9544)	34 (155.9772)	39 (152.5716)	36 (149.6800)
2015-07-10	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	43 / 65 (611.3260)	50 (154.2972)	9 (168.0000)	62 (139.9200)	38 (149.1088)

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
2026 ↗	Master	#927 (60 pts)	#1010 (60 pts)	#1051 (60 pts)	#970 (60 pts)	#950 (60 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#1148 (60 pts)	#910 (135 pts)	#1293 (60 pts)	#1190 (60 pts)	#1190 (60 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#1182 (60 pts)	#1242 (60 pts)	#1317 (60 pts)	#1231 (60 pts)	#1204 (60 pts)