Kickin' Ash BBQ

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

Power ranking

#6053

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1429

peak 1429 · rated over 9 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2017-10-20

latest 2024-07-27

Best ToY finish

#499

Master 2023

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 9 contests

Avg finish

top 89%

overall standings

Best overall

666.2172 / 720

Master · Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1

Perfect 180s

Current form

636.74 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 640.60 (-3.86)

Walk rate

22%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

173.1200

Pork · Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1

Consistency

±19.75

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 164.74 · weakest Pork Ribs (157.23)

Road miles

1,269

mi across 9 mapped stops · furthest 525 mi

Schedule strength

81%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1605)

Purse competed for

$62K

listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 8 state-championship entries

Master avg

640.60 / 720

9 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (9 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.

High-water mark

666.2172 career-best overall

92.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 666.2172 at Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1 — 92.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
2023-08-11

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BIG DOG BBQ VA has finished one call ahead of Kickin' Ash BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

Off The Rack BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

Off The Rack BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.5 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.51 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 22%.

Pork Ribs avg 157.23
Chicken avg 164.74
0 calls in 9 entries

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of smokey anderson bbq in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

5.4 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 5.4 years, then back at BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) (2023-03-24).

last seen 2017-10-20
back 2023-03-24

Chicken nemesis

6 of 8 shared chicken entries lost

Off The Rack BBQ ahead 75% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Off The Rack BBQ has out-cooked them in 6 of 8 shared chicken entries.

They cook the hard rooms

1605 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 81% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1605 power rating — a tougher draw than 81% of every rated contest in the data.

9 rated contests

Going the wrong way

-30 rating points in a year

The rating has slipped 30 points across 5 contests since 2023-07-28 — from 1459 down to 1429.

5 contests since 2023-07-28
now 1429

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.

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

J & M BBQ

#6055 of the rated field

1429 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1429

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2025-10-03

⚔ Head-to-head

Meat Sweats

#6058 of the rated field

1429 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1429

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2025-06-20

⚔ Head-to-head

PORK U

#6060 of the rated field

1429 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1429

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 5 years before Kickin' Ash BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 10 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

The Smokin' Irish

#6057 of the rated field

1429 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1429

No shared contest yet.

Level with Kickin' Ash BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2023-08-18

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin Budha with the Phat Daddyz

#6056 of the rated field

1429 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1429

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2023-06-23

⚔ Head-to-head

Darling Nikki's BBQ

#6050 of the rated field

1429 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1508

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1508 at their best, 79 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2022-10-01

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Off The Rack BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKECRAFT - MD	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
BIG DOG BBQ VA	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
RED SMOKE BAR-B-QUE	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Top Gun Barbecue	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
3 EYZ BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
BLUE & GRAY BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
HotMess BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
Second Helping BBQ -PA	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
SWEET BELLY'S BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	9	2	173.1200	154.2516	164.74	top 70%
Pork Ribs	9	0	167.9888	145.0400	157.23	top 88%
Pork	9	0	173.1200	149.0400	160.77	top 77%
Brisket	9	0	166.2516	143.3372	157.86	top 84%

“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	4	top 94%
VA	3	top 82%
WV	1	top 82%
KY	1	top 100%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 88%
Large (40+)	3	0	top 91%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2)	2	30	0	top 94%	2024-07-27
Smoke on the Rail (Day 2)	2	38	0	top 94%	2023-07-29

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

On the trail 6.8 yrs 2017-10-20 → 2024-07-27

Busiest season 2023 6 contests

Contests a season 3 across 3 seasons in the data

Cooks most in PA 4 of 9 contests · 4 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 7 2 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 9 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 164.74 · weakest Pork Ribs (157.23)

Walk rate 22% a top-10 call in 2 of 9 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 9 contests

Master average 640.60 out of 720 · 9 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 231 38–449 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,269 9 mapped stops · furthest 525 mi

Schedule strength 1605 average field rating faced — tougher than 81% of rated contests

Purse competed for $62,200 listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 8 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 5.4 yrs 2017-10-20 → 2023-03-24

Power rating 1429 peak 1429 · #6053 of 6,413 rated

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

2017
Oct 20 First tracked contest *Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-off
Oct 20 Peak power rating (1487) *Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-off
2023
Mar 24 First overall past 90% of a perfect score653.5200 BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard)
Jun 2 First call Covington Cork & Pork Festival
Aug 11 Career-best overall score666.2172 Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1
Aug 11 Career-best single call (Pork)173.1200 Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1
2024
Jul 27 Most recent contest Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2)

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

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.6	*Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-off	2017-10-20
-10	Smoke on the Rail (Day 1)	2023-07-28
-9.3	Smoke on the Rail (Day 2)	2023-07-29
-8.7	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2)	2024-07-27
-8.6	BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard)	2023-03-24

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)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2024	2	0%	top 94%	88%	86.1%
2023	6	33%	top 86%	92.5%	90.6%
2017	1	0%	top 100%	85.1%	85.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2024-07-27	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	30 / 32 (633.5432)	27 (164.5372)	28 (161.1088)	31 (157.6684)	32 (150.2288)
2024-07-26	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	33 / 35 (606.5372)	14 (169.1200)	34 (145.0400)	35 (149.0400)	34 (143.3372)
2023-08-11	Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1 🏅 Ashland, VA	25 / 28 (666.2172)	28 (163.9772)	25 (167.4400)	16 (173.1200)	26 (161.6800)
2023-07-29	Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	38 / 40 (636.4120)	29 (167.9772)	38 (154.2400)	39 (152.5260)	33 (161.6688)
2023-07-28	Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	47 / 51 (640.9832)	48 (154.2516)	28 (167.9888)	28 (167.3828)	48 (151.3600)
2023-06-16	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Buckhannon, WV	23 / 28 (651.8404)	7 (173.1200)	27 (157.0744)	23 (158.8116)	20 (162.8344)
2023-06-02	Covington Cork & Pork Festival 🏅 Covington, VA	19 / 27 (663.8860)	9 (170.8572)	21 (161.6800)	19 (165.0972)	21 (166.2516)
2023-03-24	BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	46 / 53 (653.5200)	47 (162.2168)	52 (153.6344)	17 (173.1200)	35 (164.5488)
2017-10-20	*Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-off Munfordville, KY	36 / 36 (612.4684)	34 (156.5716)	36 (146.8456)	36 (150.2056)	26 (158.8456)

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
2023 ↗	Master	#499 (378 pts)	#424 (528 pts)	#601 (358 pts)	#452 (463 pts)	#508 (383 pts)