SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC

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

Power ranking

#3613

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1491

peak 1491 · rated over 31 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2015-08-01

latest 2023-11-03

Best ToY finish

#262

Master 2020

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

8 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 31 contests

Avg finish

top 66%

overall standings

Best overall

695.3600 / 720

Master · Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition

Perfect 180s

Current form

668.99 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 646.78 (+22.22)

Walk rate

68%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

178.2972

Chicken · Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition

Consistency

±52.58

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 168.92 · weakest Brisket (161.67)

Road miles

11,748

mi across 31 mapped stops · furthest 4180 mi

Schedule strength

76%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1597)

Purse competed for

$184K

listed at 22 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 28 state-championship entries

Master avg

646.78 / 720

30 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

337.13 / 360

1 Backyard contest · 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.

This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (13 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.

On the rise

+30 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 30 points across 8 contests since 2022-11-04 — from 1461 up to 1491.

8 contests since 2022-11-04
now 1491

They almost always walk

68% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 21 of 31 contests

A top-10 category call in 68% of their 31 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

695.3600 career-best overall

96.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 695.3600 at Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition — 96.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
2023-04-07

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

ELITE BBQ SMOKERS has finished one call ahead of SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2023 their best year

2023 was the year it came together: 7 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 50%.

7 contests
2 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 50%

A tough matchup

26–1 behind in the head-to-head

MUTTLEY CREW BBQ ahead in 96% of their meetings

MUTTLEY CREW BBQ has come out ahead in 26 of their 27 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.2 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.25 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 18% of the time against 48%.

Brisket avg 161.67
Chicken avg 168.92
5 calls in 28 entries

The comeback

2.2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.2 years, then back at Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down (2018-10-12).

last seen 2016-08-06
back 2018-10-12

Built for the big stage

Top 45% average finish in large fields

Field size changes the story: they average a top 45% finish in large fields against top 82% in small ones.

Large (40+): top 45% (5)
Small (<20 teams): top 82% (5)

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE has landed one call behind them 3 times.

Boom or bust

±7.22% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±7.22% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 90.0% of a perfect score
best 96.6%

An April team

Top 42% average finish in April

Something about April: average finish in the top 42% across 4 contests, versus top 66% the rest of the year.

4 April contests
top 66% the rest of the year

The long haul

11,748 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 11,748 miles across 31 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 4,180 miles to Smoke in the North.

31 mapped stops
furthest 4,180 mi

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.

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

Dyin Breed BBQ

#3612 of the rated field

1491 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1516

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2022-07-22

⚔ Head-to-head

SmokeMasters BBQ

#3608 of the rated field

1491 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1491

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC)

Fewer contests behind them than SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC has cooked, 9 to 31, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2025-03-14

⚔ Head-to-head

No Swine without Wine

#3610 of the rated field

1491 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1516

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC)

They turned up 8 years after SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC did, first appearing in 2023.

rated over 5 contests
last seen 2025-09-12

⚔ Head-to-head

Southside Smoke

#3604 of the rated field

1491 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1504

No shared contest yet.

25 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 20% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2026-06-12

⚔ Head-to-head

Barking Hogs BBQ

#3628 of the rated field

1490 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1490

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 21 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2026-08-21

⚔ Head-to-head

DAT'S BBQ

#3632 of the rated field

1490 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1490

No shared contest yet.

Level with SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2026-07-31

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	27	1	26	4%	⚔ compare
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	20	3	17	15%	⚔ compare
BIG DOG BBQ VA	18	10	8	56%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN SKULLIES	18	2	16	11%	⚔ compare
GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
ELITE BBQ SMOKERS	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
TWISTED PAIR BBQ	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
POKE N SMOKE	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
Still Workin' On It	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
BUD WISER'S BBQ	10	8	2	80%	⚔ compare
SOUTHERN Q COMPETITION COOK TEAM	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
MCADOO HEIGHTS BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
SMOKECRAFT - MD	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	31	15	1	4	178.2972	134.8000	168.92	top 44%
Pork Ribs	31	10	1	3	176.5600	135.9544	164.70	top 55%
Pork	30	4	1	1	176.5600	143.3256	162.39	top 70%
Brisket	28	5	0	0	173.7028	143.3944	161.67	top 66%

“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
NC	15	top 63%
VA	8	top 78%
SC	3	top 66%
WV	2	top 67%
CA	1	top 5%
SE	1	top 55%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	5	top 82%
Medium (20–39)	21	top 67%
Large (40+)	5	top 45%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down	3	14	top 75%	2023-10-13
Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition	2	4	top 28%	2023-04-07
Bone Suckin Sauce Peak City Pig Fest	2	21	top 65%	2022-07-22
Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival	2	9	top 61%	2022-05-20

The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 8.3 yrs 2015-08-01 → 2023-11-03

Busiest season 2023 7 contests

Contests a season 3.9 across 8 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NC 15 of 31 contests · 6 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 26 4 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 31 entries · 1 win · 15 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 168.92 · weakest Brisket (161.67)

Walk rate 68% a top-10 call in 21 of 31 contests

Overall top-10 rate 16% 5 of 31 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 646.78 out of 720 · 30 contests · 0 GCs

Backyard average 337.13 out of 360 · 1 contest · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 504 397–742 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 11,748 31 mapped stops · furthest 4,180 mi

Schedule strength 1597 average field rating faced — tougher than 76% of rated contests

Purse competed for $183,550 listed at 22 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 28 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 2.2 yrs 2016-08-06 → 2018-10-12

Power rating 1491 peak 1491 · #3613 of 6,413 rated

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

2015
Aug 1 First tracked contest Smoke in the North
Aug 1 First call Smoke in the North
2016
Aug 6 Peak power rating (1493) Smoke in the North
2019
Apr 26 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.3204 Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition
Apr 26 Career-best single call (Chicken)178.2972 Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition
Sep 20 First overall top-10 Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic
Nov 8 10th tracked contest Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A)
2020
Aug 8 First category win (Chicken) BBQ WYTHE US DAY 2
2023
Mar 25 25th tracked contest BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)
Apr 7 Career-best overall score695.3600 Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition
Jun 2 First overall podium Horse Town Brew n Que Festival
Jun 2 First Reserve Championship Horse Town Brew n Que Festival
Nov 3 Most recent contest Currituck Bulls and BBQ

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+18.4	Horse Town Brew n Que Festival	2023-06-02
+16.3	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition	2023-04-07
+15.1	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic	2019-09-20
+13	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival	2022-05-20
+5.4	Downtown BBQ Throwdown	2022-04-22

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.3	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down	2018-10-12
-11.5	BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1	2020-08-07
-10.4	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-off and Festival	2019-05-17
-9.3	Zom-B-Q	2020-10-30
-7.7	Smoke in the North	2015-08-01

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)
2023	7	2	2	86%	top 50%	96.6%	93.2%
2022	5	2	0	80%	top 55%	94.7%	93.4%
2021	4	0	0	25%	top 74%	92.6%	92%
2020	5	0	1	80%	top 88%	93.1%	86.4%
2019	7	1	0	71%	top 64%	94.2%	90.6%
2018	1	0	0	0%	top 100%	59.7%	59.7%
2016	1	0	0	0%	top 55%	87.6%	87.6%
2015	1	0	0	100%	top 77%	86.8%	86.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2023-11-03	Currituck Bulls and BBQ 🏅 Powells Point, NC	14 / 21 (675.2684)	11 (169.6800)	15 (166.2400)	13 (169.6684)	6 (169.6800)
2023-10-13	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down 🏅 Rocky Mount, NC	14 / 27 (674.1712)	9 (171.9656)	12 (169.7144)	22 (160.5256)	10 (171.9656)
2023-06-09	WV Coalfields Cookoff 🏅 Welch, WV	13 / 16 (649.4736)	10 (169.1084)	10 (165.0972)	14 (159.3368)	14 (155.9312)
2023-06-02	Covington Cork & Pork Festival 🏅 Covington, VA	22 / 27 (650.6972)	8 (172.5600)	24 (153.0972)	20 (164.5372)	23 (160.5028)
2023-06-02	Horse Town Brew n Que Festival 🏅 Norco, CA	2 / 43 (337.1316)	3 (167.4172)	1 (169.7144)	—	—
2023-04-07	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC	4 / 28 (695.3600)	14 (172.5600)	2 (176.5600)	1 (176.5600)	14 (169.6800)
2023-03-25	BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	24 / 46 (680.5604)	25 (173.1200)	17 (172.5716)	30 (168.5600)	30 (166.3088)
2022-11-04	Currituck Bulls & BBQ 🏅 Powells Point, NC	20 / 22 (663.8168)	20 (165.6684)	10 (170.2744)	14 (168.5256)	19 (159.3484)
2022-07-22	Bone Suckin Sauce Peak City Pig Fest 🏅 Apex, NC	21 / 35 (670.1372)	16 (170.8344)	16 (169.6800)	25 (163.3828)	19 (166.2400)
2022-05-20	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival 🏅 Ayden, NC	9 / 32 (681.5884)	5 (175.4056)	4 (172.5600)	15 (168.5372)	18 (165.0856)
2022-04-22	Downtown BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Ripley, WV	9 / 17 (673.0172)	11 (165.0972)	5 (172.0000)	6 (169.6800)	10 (166.2400)
2022-04-08	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC	15 / 36 (674.7888)	28 (162.8228)	5 (174.2860)	7 (174.2628)	21 (163.4172)
2021-08-27	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Myrtle Beach Travel Park 🏅 Myrtle Beach, SC	14 / 22 (665.5544)	5 (173.1200)	13 (167.3944)	19 (159.9544)	13 (165.0856)
2021-07-23	Bone Suckin Sauce Peak City Pig Fest 🏅 Apex, NC	21 / 30 (661.0744)	12 (170.8572)	12 (167.4172)	17 (165.0972)	27 (157.7028)
2021-06-04	GrillBillies BBQ Shootout 🏅 Wendell, NC	16 / 18 (655.3600)	14 (168.5600)	11 (169.1544)	16 (159.4400)	15 (158.2056)
2021-03-12	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pirateland 🏅 Myrtle Beach, SC	28 / 39 (666.7088)	27 (165.0972)	23 (166.8344)	30 (163.9544)	13 (170.8228)
2020-10-30	Zom-B-Q 🏅 Wytheville, VA	33 / 33 (494.1944)	27 (165.7028)	22 (165.0972)	28 (163.3944)	—
2020-10-29	The Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q 🏅 Wytheville, VA	30 / 33 (658.7316)	7 (173.1316)	18 (171.4172)	32 (161.1200)	32 (153.0628)
2020-08-08	BBQ WYTHE US DAY 2 🏅 WYTHE, VA	15 / 17 (646.6628)	1 (177.1544)	3 (172.5600)	17 (143.3256)	17 (153.6228)
2020-08-07	BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1 🏅 WYTHE, VA	19 / 19 (641.5084)	6 (172.5600)	14 (167.9772)	19 (153.0856)	19 (147.8856)
2020-03-13	Speed & Feed BBQ Cook-Off & Car Show 🏅 Darlington, SC	18 / 29 (670.2056)	6 (173.7028)	25 (165.7028)	18 (164.5716)	15 (166.2284)
2019-11-08	Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A) 🏅 Concord, NC	35 / 47 (655.8400)	13 (173.1084)	46 (149.6344)	43 (159.9772)	10 (173.1200)
2019-10-25	Zom-B-Q(BBQ Wythe US) 🏅 Wytheville, VA	11 / 20 (663.8968)	4 (172.5600)	6 (170.8456)	14 (162.8228)	18 (157.6684)
2019-10-11	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down 🏅 Rocky Mount, NC	23 / 32 (642.0800)	8 (171.9656)	22 (158.2288)	23 (157.6800)	26 (154.2056)
2019-09-20	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic 🏅 Salisbury, NC	10 / 56 (678.2172)	2 (177.7144)	8 (173.1544)	52 (153.6456)	7 (173.7028)
2019-08-02	Pigs & Pedals 🏅 Asheboro, NC	31 / 40 (639.8972)	14 (169.1200)	35 (153.6800)	35 (156.0000)	28 (161.0972)
2019-05-17	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-off and Festival 🏅 Ayden, NC	34 / 36 (634.1256)	32 (161.0972)	31 (155.9888)	27 (161.6340)	29 (155.4056)
2019-04-26	Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition 🏅 Lanexa, VA	19 / 32 (654.3204)	2 (178.2972)	20 (159.4288)	29 (158.2972)	22 (158.2972)
2018-10-12	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down Rocky Mount, NC	39 / 39 (430.1600)	39 (134.8000)	39 (135.9544)	28 (159.4056)	—
2016-08-06	Smoke in the North Gothenburg, SE	17 / 31 (630.8112)	24 (155.4056)	22 (154.8456)	19 (157.7028)	15 (162.8572)
2015-08-01	Smoke in the North Gunnilse/Gothenburg,	20 / 26 (625.1204)	6 (166.2744)	25 (148.5716)	7 (166.8800)	26 (143.3944)

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
2024 ↗	Master	#1006 (101 pts)	#1032 (116 pts)	#1171 (96 pts)	#1037 (106 pts)	#837 (161 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#341 (615 pts)	#353 (640 pts)	#337 (765 pts)	#314 (680 pts)	#392 (530 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#464 (459 pts)	#485 (459 pts)	#385 (664 pts)	#455 (489 pts)	#551 (379 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#521 (325 pts)	#439 (450 pts)	#490 (410 pts)	#557 (320 pts)	#510 (375 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#262 (431 pts)	#107 (936 pts)	#200 (596 pts)	#291 (421 pts)	#263 (453 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#563 (584 pts)	#238 (1159 pts)	#533 (649 pts)	#716 (464 pts)	#535 (629 pts)