HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB KS
Rating
1690
peak 1692
Contests
34
in the data
First seen
2019-03-22
latest 2026-06-26
Best ToY finish
#35
Master 2017
Grand champs
1
1 reserve
Category wins
4
10 podiums
Overall top-10s
9
of 34 contests
Avg finish
top 20%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
3 🔥
Current form
685.76 ▲
last 5 vs career avg 675.15 (+10.61)
Walk rate
56%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
3
best run (overall)
Consistency
±41.36
std dev of overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 173.12 · weakest Brisket (170.54)
Road miles
2730
mi across 34 mapped stops · furthest 282 mi
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
ROADKILL BBQ has finished one call ahead of HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
SPITFIRE has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
BOOMERANG BBQ has come out ahead in 10 of their 11 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of KC Meat Sweats in 20 of their 23 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship is their spot: an average finish in the top 9% across 2 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Came within 0.0916 points of the Grand Championship at The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship (2023-06-23).
🗡️ Giant slayer
Took the Grand Championship over a 467-team field at American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST.
Teams like this (closest power rating, KS first)
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 30 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 179.4400 | 167.4172 | 173.12 | top 23% |
| Pork Ribs | 30 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 180.0000 🔥 | 161.1200 | 170.84 | top 32% |
| Pork | 30 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 180.0000 🔥 | 151.9428 | 170.93 | top 32% |
| Brisket | 30 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 180.0000 🔥 | 154.2400 | 170.54 | top 30% |
“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 | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS | 21 | 1 | top 18% |
| MO | 3 | 0 | top 12% |
| SD | 2 | 0 | top 45% |
| NE | 2 | 0 | top 24% |
| OK | 2 | 0 | top 33% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 4 | 0 | top 34% |
| Large (40+) | 26 | 1 | top 18% |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2019 (10 contests)
- Cooks mostly in KS (25 of 34 contests)
- Most-entered category: Chicken (30 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST (2021-09-16)
- Wins it all in 3% of contests
- All-time average overall score: 675.15
- 3 perfect 180s on the books 🔥
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Category wins | Best overall | Avg overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 685.0972 | 685.10 |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 694.2172 | 686.60 |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 690.7888 | 688.32 |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 700.5372 | 696.91 |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 687.3140 | 670.93 |
| 2021 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 697.0512 | 660.45 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 684.5484 | 684.55 |
| 2019 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 701.0856 | 667.01 |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS | 21 / 157 (685.0972) | 49 (168.0116) | 37 (171.4056) | 11 (176.0000) | 44 (169.6800) |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest Kansas City, KS | 226 / 401 (674.1600) | 169 (171.9656) | 201 (169.1316) | 324 (162.8000) | 147 (170.2628) |
| 2025-09-26 | Shawnee Great Grillers Shawnee, KS | 13 / 67 (694.2172) | 8 (177.7144) | 32 (166.8344) | 15 (174.2628) | 6 (175.4056) |
| 2025-06-27 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS | 17 / 159 (691.4284) | 46 (169.1428) | 7 (177.7372) | 15 (176.0000) | 52 (168.5484) |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest Kansas City, KS | 147 / 444 (683.9200) | 87 (175.4056) | 169 (170.8572) | 266 (166.8228) | 129 (170.8344) |
| 2024-06-21 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS | 8 / 172 (690.2512) | 30 (171.9884) | 20 (171.4400) | 11 (175.4172) | 20 (171.4056) |
| 2024-04-05 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 24 / 97 (690.7888) | 46 (171.4172) | 35 (171.9772) | 2 (178.8572) | 52 (168.5372) |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest Kansas City, KS | 37 / 487 (693.6800) | 4 (179.4400) | 228 (169.6800) | 42 (176.5600) | 208 (168.0000) |
| 2023-06-23 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS | 2 / 167 (700.5372) | 5 (177.1428) | 13 (174.2744) | 20 (173.7144) | 9 (175.4056) |
| 2023-04-07 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 13 / 103 (696.5028) | 15 (176.0000) | 4 (178.8572) | 33 (171.9772) | 50 (169.6684) |
| 2022-10-01 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022-09-29 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST Kansas City, KS | 106 / 505 (683.9084) | 77 (174.2856) | 77 (174.2744) | 414 (158.7884) | 26 (176.5600) |
| 2022-06-24 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS | 105 / 164 (641.5768) | 47 (167.4400) | 65 (165.1428) | 145 (151.9428) | 123 (157.0512) |
| 2022-04-08 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 17 / 94 (687.3140) | 9 (176.5600) | 57 (167.3828) | 29 (172.5484) | 36 (170.8228) |
| 2021-09-16 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST Kansas City, KS | 1 / 467 (530.3428) | 37 (174.8572) | 121 (170.8344) | 131 (169.1200) | 122 (169.7028) |
| 2021-09-10 | Ribs, Rods & Rock N Roll Vermillion, SD | 18 / 26 (668.4452) | 8 (171.4284) | 7 (171.4056) | 25 (160.5256) | 19 (165.0856) |
| 2021-06-25 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS | 15 / 145 (679.9540) | 3 (178.8800) | 40 (167.4400) | 39 (167.4056) | 48 (166.2284) |
| 2021-06-04 | Kelley Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ) Kansas City, MO | 4 / 55 (697.0512) | 6 (176.5600) | 15 (170.8228) | 2 (177.7028) | 10 (171.9656) |
| 2021-05-28 | 9th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE | 5 / 46 (692.0116) | 16 (170.2972) | 4 (176.0228) | 23 (166.8344) | 1 (178.8572) |
| 2021-04-09 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 10 / 105 (694.8688) | 59 (168.0344) | 54 (168.5372) | 2 (180.0000) | 1 (178.2972) |
| 2020-10-30 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 25 / 93 (684.5484) | 40 (170.2972) | 23 (172.0116) | 17 (174.2856) | 50 (167.9540) |
| 2019-09-12 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST Kansas City, KS | 16 / 468 (511.4056) | 113 (170.8228) | 113 (170.2628) | 41 (174.2744) | 50 (174.2628) |
| 2019-09-06 | Ribs, Rod & Rock'n Roll Vermillion, SD | 6 / 29 (689.0628) | 2 (178.2972) | 15 (170.2628) | 19 (166.2400) | 7 (174.2628) |
| 2019-08-09 | Smokin Trackside BBQ Bash Winston, MO | 3 / 30 (686.8116) | 7 (172.0000) | 5 (173.1316) | 18 (165.6800) | 3 (176.0000) |
| 2019-07-12 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS | 16 / 59 (683.3256) | 25 (169.6684) | 18 (171.9772) | 17 (172.5600) | 23 (169.1200) |
| 2019-06-21 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS | 15 / 183 (673.0516) | 5 (176.0000) | 49 (167.3944) | 6 (175.4172) | 126 (154.2400) |
| 2019-05-31 | Kelly Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ) Kansas City, MO | 11 / 56 (681.0284) | 24 (167.4172) | 1 (180.0000) | 13 (170.8228) | 25 (162.7884) |
| 2019-04-26 | Q for a Cause Papillion, NE | 12 / 32 (683.9084) | 7 (173.7028) | 17 (167.3944) | 9 (171.9884) | 12 (170.8228) |
| 2019-04-12 | Smoke In the Springs Osage City, KS | 3 / 104 (701.0856) | 8 (177.1428) | 19 (173.1200) | 24 (170.8228) | 1 (180.0000) |
| 2019-03-23 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 2 Shawnee, OK | 31 / 62 (675.8740) | 35 (169.6684) | 54 (161.1200) | 19 (173.1084) | 20 (171.9772) |
| 2019-03-22 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1 Shawnee, OK | 12 / 74 (684.5028) | 15 (172.0000) | 43 (164.5256) | 7 (175.4172) | 15 (172.5600) |
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 | #737 (80 pts) | #866 (60 pts) | #903 (60 pts) | #617 (130 pts) | #814 (60 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #726 (180 pts) | #743 (215 pts) | #1020 (120 pts) | #803 (170 pts) | #664 (235 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #607 (280 pts) | #806 (180 pts) | #804 (205 pts) | #455 (450 pts) | #757 (205 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #496 (380 pts) | #625 (295 pts) | #637 (330 pts) | #903 (145 pts) | #774 (205 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #749 (220 pts) | #695 (265 pts) | #912 (180 pts) | #854 (180 pts) | #837 (180 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #245 (786 pts) | #259 (781 pts) | #316 (656 pts) | #267 (761 pts) | #218 (906 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #856 (60 pts) | #896 (60 pts) | #892 (70 pts) | #799 (100 pts) | #883 (60 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #193 (1346 pts) | #205 (1271 pts) | #263 (1091 pts) | #269 (1091 pts) | #213 (1241 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #126 (1785 pts) | #115 (1710 pts) | #72 (1905 pts) | #141 (1540 pts) | #81 (1880 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #35 (2434 pts) | #37 (2215 pts) | #2 (2713 pts) | #54 (2022 pts) | #36 (2227 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #54 (2289 pts) | #7 (2561 pts) | #47 (2077 pts) | #74 (1938 pts) | #36 (2249 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #258 (1285 pts) | #247 (1282 pts) | #209 (1380 pts) | #235 (1265 pts) | #217 (1417 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #986 (319 pts) | #1438 (204 pts) | #1262 (244 pts) | #1049 (319 pts) | #684 (544 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1893 (90 pts) | #1800 (120 pts) | #2656 (55 pts) | #1215 (230 pts) | #1912 (95 pts) |