Backroads BBQ SD

Power ranking

#923

of 3077 rated · rankings

Rating

1543

peak 1543 · rated over 13 contests

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2019-05-10

latest 2024-09-27

Best ToY finish

#731

Master 2016

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

5 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 13 contests

Avg finish

top 42%

overall standings

Best overall

685.0856 / 720

Master · Minnesota in May

Perfect 180s

Current form

675.47 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 669.32 (+6.15)

Walk rate

85%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

179.4400

Brisket · Minnesota in Mayaugust

Consistency

±11.09

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 168.97 · weakest Brisket (165.69)

Road miles

3430

mi across 13 mapped stops · furthest 422 mi

Schedule strength

36%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1531)

Purse competed for

$133K

listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 13 state-championship entries

Master avg

669.32 / 720

11 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

333.10 / 360

2 Backyard contests · 0 GCs

Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines

🎯 The one to beat

SIN CIRCLE BBQ has finished one call ahead of Backroads BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

⚔️ A tough matchup

LAST CALL HEROES BBQ has come out ahead in 10 of their 11 shared contests.

⚔️ A strong matchup

They've finished ahead of Borgy the BBQ Butcher in 7 of their 8 shared contests.

🏕️ Happy hunting ground

Original SD BBQ Championship is their spot: an average finish in the top 18% across 2 visits.

😤 Pork nemesis

Even in their strongest meat, SPITFIRE has out-cooked them in 7 of 11 shared pork entries.

📅 A May team

Something about May: average finish in the top 23% across 3 contests, versus top 42% the rest of the year.

🔁 The comeback

Off the trail for 2.3 years, then back at ND BBQ Championship (2024-09-27).

Teams like this (closest power rating, SD first)

Eggspert BBQ Minnesota #912 · 1544 · SD Dirty Little Pigs BBQ #879 · 1547 · SD CROSSCUT BBQ2 #778 · 1557 · SD SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS #709 · 1565 · SD Pigtamer BBQ #675 · 1569 · SD RICHIE Z's #626 · 1574 · SD

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
RUM N' SMOKE BBQ	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
LAST CALL HEROES BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
BnB BBQ	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
Pigtamer BBQ	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
Borgy the BBQ Butcher	8	7	1	88%	⚔ compare
BURNT TREES BBQ	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
SIN CIRCLE BBQ	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
WHO DAT BBQ	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
RUB MY RACK	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
MACHETE BOYS BBQ	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
ROLLIN' SMOKE BBQ SD	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare
SMOKE IN THE EYE	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	13	3	0	1	173.7372	159.3828	167.54	top 46%
Pork Ribs	13	4	0	1	176.0116	158.8116	166.88	top 44%
Pork	11	4	0	1	176.0000	158.8344	168.97	top 41%
Brisket	11	3	1	2	179.4400	150.2400	165.69	top 46%

“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
SD	6	top 46%
MN	3	top 44%
KS	2	top 26%
ND	1	top 43%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 41%
Large (40+)	7	0	top 44%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest	2	5	top 26%	2022-06-10
Original SD BBQ Championship	2	6	top 18%	2021-06-04
Minnesota in May	2	3	top 26%	2021-05-07

The story so far

Busiest season: 2019 (5 contests)
Cooks mostly in SD (6 of 13 contests)
Most-entered category: Chicken (13 entries)
Average Master overall score: 669.32 / 720
Average Backyard overall score: 333.10 / 360

Milestones

🚩 2019-05-10 — First tracked contest · Minnesota in May
📣 2019-05-10 — First call · Minnesota in May
⭐ 2021-05-07 — Career-best overall score (685.0856) · Minnesota in May
📈 2024-09-27 — Peak power rating (1543) · ND BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.2	Minnesota in May	2021-05-07
+12	Original SD BBQ Championship	2019-05-31
+11.9	Ribs, Rods & Rock N Roll	2021-09-10
+11.2	Original SD BBQ Championship	2021-06-04
+9.9	Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest	2021-06-11

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-7.8	Ribs, Rod & Rock'n Roll	2019-09-06
-5.9	SMSU Smokefest	2019-08-16
-4	Ribs, Rod and Rock N Roll	2020-09-11
-3.1	Cookin On Kampeska	2019-07-19
-1.8	Minnesota in May	2019-05-10

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2024	1	0	0	100%	top 43%	93.2%	93.2%
2022	1	1	0	100%	top 34%	90.8%	90.8%
2021	4	4	0	75%	top 17%	95.2%	94.5%
2020	2	0	1	100%	top 64%	92.3%	92.2%
2019	5	1	0	80%	top 55%	95.1%	92.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2024-09-27	ND BBQ Championship 🏅 Fargo, ND	20 / 47 (670.7540)	37 (162.2400)	12 (169.1084)	3 (174.8572)	28 (164.5484)
2022-06-10	Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS	10 / 29 (326.7772)	8 (167.9656)	14 (158.8116)	—	—
2021-09-10	Ribs, Rods & Rock N Roll 🏅 Vermillion, SD	6 / 26 (681.0972)	12 (169.1316)	14 (168.5484)	15 (168.5600)	3 (174.8572)
2021-06-11	Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS	5 / 28 (339.4284)	2 (173.7372)	6 (165.6912)	—	—
2021-06-04	Original SD BBQ Championship 🏅 Huron, SD	10 / 49 (677.6912)	16 (169.1200)	26 (166.2972)	13 (171.4284)	11 (170.8456)
2021-05-07	Minnesota in May 🏅 Cambridge, MN	3 / 60 (685.0856)	23 (169.1428)	9 (170.8228)	4 (176.0000)	17 (169.1200)
2020-09-11	Ribs, Rod and Rock N Roll 🏅 Vermillion, SD	21 / 29 (662.7312)	18 (167.9772)	7 (174.8456)	13 (169.6684)	28 (150.2400)
2020-08-28	Minnesota in Mayaugust 🏅 Cambridge, MN	25 / 45 (664.4800)	39 (159.9428)	28 (163.3944)	34 (161.7028)	1 (179.4400)
2019-09-06	Ribs, Rod & Rock'n Roll 🏅 Vermillion, SD	23 / 29 (653.5656)	10 (170.2628)	21 (163.4172)	20 (162.8000)	26 (157.0856)
2019-08-16	SMSU Smokefest 🏅 MARSHALL, MN	33 / 46 (657.0172)	17 (170.8344)	36 (162.2516)	27 (165.7028)	34 (158.2284)
2019-07-19	Cookin On Kampeska 🏅 Watertown, SD	25 / 40 (655.9316)	30 (159.3828)	19 (166.8572)	31 (158.8344)	8 (170.8572)
2019-05-31	Original SD BBQ Championship 🏅 Huron, SD	6 / 37 (685.0628)	15 (166.8228)	2 (176.0116)	5 (175.4056)	13 (166.8228)
2019-05-10	Minnesota in May 🏅	27 / 57 (669.0972)	20 (171.4056)	34 (163.4288)	10 (173.7028)	41 (160.5600)

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1079 (235 pts)	#1250 (195 pts)	#948 (320 pts)	#933 (320 pts)	#1283 (180 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#733 (458 pts)	#732 (483 pts)	#711 (503 pts)	#668 (553 pts)	#546 (673 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#833 (447 pts)	#1070 (332 pts)	#824 (482 pts)	#1241 (257 pts)	#690 (577 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#731 (515 pts)	#733 (545 pts)	#987 (370 pts)	#893 (435 pts)	#809 (465 pts)