WHO CARES BBQ NC
Rating
1684
peak 1762
Contests
76
in the data
First seen
2019-03-01
latest 2023-09-27
Best ToY finish
#5
Master 2020
Grand champs
9
6 reserve
Category wins
18
50 podiums
Overall top-10s
33
of 76 contests
Avg finish
top 26%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
5 🔥
Current form
685.19 ▲
last 5 vs career avg 671.62 (+13.56)
Walk rate
82%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
8
best run (overall)
Consistency
±84.47
std dev of overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 172.90 · weakest Pork (170.80)
Road miles
20214
mi across 76 mapped stops · furthest 842 mi
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ has finished one call ahead of WHO CARES BBQ 4 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
GETTIN' BASTED has come out ahead in 21 of their 29 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of ELITE BBQ SMOKERS in 24 of their 34 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival is their spot: 2 Grand Championships in 2 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Came within 0.0116 points of the Grand Championship at Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival (2019-06-14).
🗡️ Giant slayer
Took the Grand Championship over a 63-team field at BBQ Gives Back-III (Day 1).
📅 A June team
Something about June: average finish in the top 17% across 6 contests, versus top 26% the rest of the year.
🃏 Against the odds
Their Grand Championship at Lakeland Pig Festival (2022-01-28) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 26-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, GETTIN' BASTED.
🐣 Announced themselves early
Finished 2 of 62 at their very first tracked contest, Sip & Swine BBQ Festival (2019-03-01).
Teams like this (closest power rating, NC first)
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 72 | 33 | 6 | 13 | 180.0000 🔥 | 160.4912 | 172.90 | top 31% |
| Pork Ribs | 73 | 30 | 6 | 14 | 180.0000 🔥 | 160.5144 | 171.24 | top 35% |
| Pork | 70 | 32 | 4 | 12 | 179.4400 | 159.9428 | 170.80 | top 36% |
| Brisket | 71 | 31 | 2 | 11 | 179.4400 | 159.9312 | 171.11 | top 34% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC | 15 | 2 | top 29% |
| VA | 12 | 3 | top 33% |
| KS | 11 | 0 | top 22% |
| GA | 10 | 2 | top 13% |
| MO | 6 | 0 | top 42% |
| SC | 4 | 1 | top 19% |
| WV | 3 | 0 | top 22% |
| FL | 3 | 1 | top 34% |
| AL | 3 | 0 | top 20% |
| TN | 2 | 0 | top 27% |
| KY | 2 | 0 | top 8% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 2 | top 6% |
| Medium (20–39) | 36 | 4 | top 29% |
| Large (40+) | 33 | 3 | top 24% |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2019 (20 contests)
- Cooks mostly in NC (15 of 76 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (73 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: BBQ Gives Back-III (Day 1) (2019-03-22)
- Wins it all in 12% of contests
- All-time average overall score: 671.62
- 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 698.8572 | 684.38 |
| 2022 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 706.2516 | 684.84 |
| 2021 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 701.6916 | 683.10 |
| 2020 | 18 | 4 | 8 | 703.9428 | 662.00 |
| 2019 | 20 | 3 | 6 | 699.3712 | 658.73 |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest Kansas City, KS | 195 / 487 (678.2056) | 260 (168.0000) | 122 (172.5600) | 240 (168.5256) | 182 (169.1200) |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest Kansas City, KS | 30 / 211 (693.6800) | 144 (168.5484) | 19 (176.5944) | 18 (176.5600) | 76 (171.9772) |
| 2023-08-12 | Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 2 Ashland, VA | 19 / 26 (680.4800) | 11 (175.4172) | 14 (170.8572) | 26 (159.9428) | 9 (174.2628) |
| 2023-08-11 | Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1 Ashland, VA | 8 / 28 (698.8572) | 11 (174.8572) | 18 (170.8572) | 13 (174.2856) | 3 (178.8572) |
| 2023-08-11 | Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown (One Meat Chicken) Ashland, VA | — | 8 (172.0000) | — | — | — |
| 2023-08-11 | Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown (One Meat Ribs) Ashland, VA | — | — | 6 (171.4516) | — | — |
| 2023-06-16 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Buckhannon, WV | 15 / 28 (674.7084) | 15 (169.6800) | 7 (173.1200) | 22 (161.0856) | 12 (170.8228) |
| 2023-06-02 | Covington Cork & Pork Festival Covington, VA | 5 / 27 (683.9088) | 11 (170.2744) | 1 (176.5716) | 17 (166.2400) | 11 (170.8228) |
| 2023-05-06 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 2 Kannapolis, NC | 12 / 23 (686.1828) | 15 (170.8228) | 21 (165.6800) | 10 (173.1200) | 2 (176.5600) |
| 2023-05-05 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 Kannapolis, NC | 18 / 35 (688.4916) | 14 (174.2628) | 30 (164.5372) | 7 (175.4288) | 11 (174.2628) |
| 2023-02-24 | Mission Farm's King of the Farm Iron Station, NC | 16 / 33 (681.0288) | 13 (171.9656) | 22 (168.5488) | 22 (167.3828) | 9 (173.1316) |
| 2023-02-03 | Budweiser Smoke on the Water Winter Haven, FL | 22 / 47 (681.6000) | 26 (170.8228) | 42 (160.5144) | 8 (174.8572) | 7 (175.4056) |
| 2023-01-27 | Lakeland Pig Festival Lakeland, FL | 27 / 51 (681.0172) | 38 (167.3944) | 18 (171.9772) | 35 (167.3828) | 12 (174.2628) |
| 2022-10-29 | Shelby BBQ Extravaganza (Day 2) Shelby, NC | 11 / 34 (689.0744) | 15 (171.9656) | 20 (170.2860) | 7 (176.0000) | 14 (170.8228) |
| 2022-10-28 | Shelby BBQ Extravaganza (Day 1) Shelby, NC | 17 / 35 (679.3256) | 20 (168.5600) | 29 (163.9428) | 6 (174.2628) | 10 (172.5600) |
| 2022-10-14 | Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Music Festival Grovetown, GA | 20 / 51 (686.1712) | 35 (168.5256) | 19 (172.5600) | 31 (168.5256) | 5 (176.5600) |
| 2022-10-14 | Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Music Festival - One Meat Chicken Grovetown, GA | — | 6 (178.8572) | — | — | — |
| 2022-10-07 | The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival Lyons, GA | 1 / 30 (706.2516) | 2 (177.7028) | 4 (177.7144) | 7 (174.2744) | 3 (176.5600) |
| 2022-09-29 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST Kansas City, KS | 19 / 249 (697.0856) | 21 (177.7028) | 140 (170.2628) | 32 (176.5600) | 71 (172.5600) |
| 2022-09-29 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST Kansas City, KS | 151 / 505 (679.3600) | 254 (167.4056) | 75 (174.2744) | 295 (165.1200) | 79 (172.5600) |
| 2022-05-05 | Poosa Q Montgomery, AL | 15 / 72 (683.3716) | 18 (172.0000) | 19 (172.5600) | 20 (170.8344) | 34 (167.9772) |
| 2022-04-22 | WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO | 16 / 29 (665.0284) | 25 (162.7884) | 9 (168.5600) | 23 (162.2400) | 7 (171.4400) |
| 2022-04-08 | Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL | 10 / 34 (684.4456) | 6 (173.1084) | 11 (170.8344) | 22 (166.2400) | 7 (174.2628) |
| 2022-03-26 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 2 St. Robert, MO | 13 / 39 (680.5028) | 3 (177.7028) | 14 (169.7144) | 21 (166.8228) | 29 (166.2628) |
| 2022-03-25 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge - Day 1 St. Robert, MO | 17 / 38 (670.1828) | 22 (167.3828) | 9 (169.1544) | 28 (162.8000) | 9 (170.8456) |
| 2022-03-18 | Smoke on The Shores Lebanon, TN | 26 / 63 (680.4456) | 16 (174.2628) | 43 (163.9428) | 9 (174.2744) | 31 (167.9656) |
| 2022-01-28 | Lakeland Pig Festival Lakeland, FL | 1 / 60 (701.6800) | 8 (175.4172) | 2 (178.2972) | 2 (176.5600) | 19 (171.4056) |
| 2021-09-16 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST Kansas City, KS | 9 / 185 (699.9772) | 58 (173.1428) | 49 (174.2744) | 49 (173.1200) | 3 (179.4400) |
| 2021-09-16 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST Kansas City, KS | 148 / 467 (671.9084) | 75 (173.1200) | 323 (161.6800) | 109 (170.2628) | 183 (166.8456) |
| 2021-07-16 | Chillin & Grillin In the Glades Wise, VA | 20 / 25 (659.8056) | 21 (160.4912) | 20 (162.2516) | 10 (168.5372) | 14 (168.5256) |
| 2021-06-18 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Roanoke, WV | 2 / 28 (701.6916) | 1 (178.8572) | 13 (169.6916) | 7 (174.2856) | 2 (178.8572) |
| 2021-06-04 | Covington TN's World's Oldest BBQ Cooking Contest Covington, TN | 4 / 34 (698.7884) | 13 (173.1200) | 5 (176.0000) | 2 (177.7028) | 9 (171.9656) |
| 2021-05-01 | Almost Heaven Rib Fest - One Meat Rib Contest B Buckhannon, WV | — | — | 3 (173.1200) | — | — |
| 2021-05-01 | Almost Heaven Rib Fest - One Meat Rib Contest A Buckhannon, WV | — | — | 1 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2021-03-27 | Mother Road BBQ Competition Waynesville, MO | 15 / 32 (682.1828) | 1 (176.5600) | 4 (175.4172) | 28 (161.6456) | 17 (168.5600) |
| 2021-03-26 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge St. Roberts, MO | 34 / 52 (670.2056) | 11 (175.4400) | 41 (165.1200) | 38 (165.1200) | 37 (164.5256) |
| 2021-03-19 | 3rd Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship Olathe, KS | 21 / 70 (682.2856) | 17 (172.5828) | 26 (170.3200) | 40 (167.9772) | 20 (171.4056) |
| 2021-03-05 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival Lawrenceville, GA | 22 / 81 (681.0400) | 42 (166.8228) | 13 (173.1200) | 10 (173.7144) | 44 (167.3828) |
| 2020-11-13 | Second Annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition Mayetta, KS | 37 / 94 (687.9200) | 45 (171.4056) | 20 (174.8572) | 64 (168.5372) | 35 (173.1200) |
| 2020-10-30 | Zom-B-Q Wytheville, VA | 12 / 33 (678.2060) | 1 (180.0000) | 18 (166.8344) | 25 (165.6916) | 15 (165.6800) |
| 2020-10-29 | The Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q Wytheville, VA | 23 / 33 (676.4456) | 15 (170.8228) | 24 (168.5256) | 16 (171.9772) | 24 (165.1200) |
| 2020-10-23 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Galax Galax, VA | 9 / 25 (681.6228) | 15 (169.6684) | 12 (169.1200) | 9 (169.7144) | 8 (173.1200) |
| 2020-10-16 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Dorchester Shrine Club Summerville, SC | 1 / 24 (691.9432) | 9 (169.1200) | 5 (172.0004) | 2 (173.1200) | 1 (177.7028) |
| 2020-10-09 | The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival Lyons, GA | 1 / 37 (703.9428) | 3 (176.5600) | 1 (178.8572) | 3 (176.5600) | 15 (171.9656) |
| 2020-09-25 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Murphy Murphy, NC | 3 / 22 (695.9084) | 1 (180.0000) | 9 (170.8228) | 7 (174.2628) | 14 (170.8228) |
| 2020-09-18 | Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL | 3 / 28 (686.1824) | 2 (173.1084) | 7 (170.2856) | 8 (170.8228) | 9 (171.9656) |
| 2020-09-05 | Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival Augusta, GA | 6 / 54 (703.3828) | 5 (180.0000) | 14 (175.4172) | 17 (173.7028) | 15 (174.2628) |
| 2020-09-04 | Practice for Cash Augusta, GA | 3 / 46 (693.6800) | 16 (170.8456) | 28 (165.6800) | 1 (179.4400) | 5 (177.7144) |
| 2020-08-28 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Roebuck Roebuck, SC | 3 / 34 (690.2284) | 9 (173.7028) | 1 (178.2972) | 5 (173.7028) | 22 (164.5256) |
| 2020-08-14 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Aiken Aiken, SC | 11 / 34 (682.7544) | 6 (174.2744) | 6 (174.2744) | 26 (165.0856) | 16 (169.1200) |
| 2020-08-08 | BBQ WYTHE US DAY 2 WYTHE, VA | 1 / 17 (694.8000) | 4 (173.1084) | 5 (171.4172) | 3 (175.4172) | 3 (174.8572) |
| 2020-08-07 | BBQ WYTHE US DAY 1 WYTHE, VA | 1 / 19 (702.2516) | 4 (173.1200) | 2 (175.4172) | 1 (178.2972) | 3 (175.4172) |
| 2020-07-24 | Fire on the Mountain Leburn, KY | 3 / 30 (685.6800) | 12 (169.1428) | 2 (175.4288) | 1 (178.8572) | 23 (162.2512) |
| 2020-07-10 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS | 3 / 61 (697.0856) | 7 (175.4056) | 2 (180.0000) | 22 (171.4172) | 24 (170.2628) |
| 2020-04-06 | Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League washington, MO | 6 / 109 (176.0000) | — | — | — | 6 (176.0000) |
| 2020-03-06 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival Lawrenceville, GA | 7 / 61 (687.9084) | 13 (173.1084) | 33 (169.1200) | 20 (170.8344) | 6 (174.8456) |
| 2019-11-09 | Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel B) Concord, NC | 2 / 33 (692.5372) | 14 (173.1200) | 15 (170.2972) | 4 (175.4172) | 4 (173.7028) |
| 2019-11-08 | Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A) Concord, NC | 16 / 47 (674.7200) | 22 (170.2628) | 12 (171.9772) | 36 (162.8000) | 18 (169.6800) |
| 2019-10-18 | Royal Oak Invitational Only (COMPETITOR SERIES) Roswell, GA | 5 / 32 (690.8000) | 12 (171.4056) | 8 (174.2744) | 17 (169.1200) | 1 (176.0000) |
| 2019-09-27 | Butts and Beans BBQ Challenge Newton, NC | 15 / 37 (671.3372) | 31 (161.1200) | 18 (166.2516) | 11 (169.1200) | 4 (174.8456) |
| 2019-09-20 | Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic Salisbury, NC | 11 / 56 (678.1940) | 5 (174.8456) | 18 (169.1316) | 8 (172.5484) | 37 (161.6684) |
| 2019-09-12 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST Kansas City, KS | 130 / 468 (174.8800) | 1 (180.0000) | 235 (165.6800) | 56 (173.1428) | 148 (168.5828) |
| 2019-09-12 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- INVITATIONAL CONTEST Kansas City, KS | 22 / 135 (693.6684) | 14 (177.1428) | 64 (170.2744) | 54 (171.9656) | 29 (174.2856) |
| 2019-08-09 | Mountain High BBQ Festival & Car Show Franklin, NC | 1 / 29 (697.0744) | 2 (177.7028) | 9 (173.1200) | 3 (175.4288) | 7 (170.8228) |
| 2019-08-02 | Pigs & Pedals Asheboro, NC | 16 / 40 (672.4684) | 2 (177.7372) | 26 (163.9428) | 10 (170.8456) | 32 (159.9428) |
| 2019-07-19 | Chillin & Grillin in the Glades Wise, VA | 3 / 27 (691.3600) | 2 (176.5716) | 6 (171.9772) | 5 (171.9656) | 12 (170.8456) |
| 2019-07-12 | SC Festival of Discovery Greenwood, SC | 27 / 83 (669.0284) | 6 (174.8456) | 22 (169.7144) | 45 (164.5372) | 49 (159.9312) |
| 2019-06-14 | Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival Barbourville, KY | 2 / 30 (699.3712) | 10 (173.1428) | 2 (176.5600) | 3 (175.4056) | 3 (174.2628) |
| 2019-06-07 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Roanoke, WV | 2 / 31 (686.2172) | 5 (173.7028) | 3 (171.4172) | 3 (171.4172) | 7 (169.6800) |
| 2019-05-24 | Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival Evans, GA | 7 / 72 (688.5372) | 8 (176.0000) | 3 (176.0116) | 40 (166.2400) | 27 (170.2856) |
| 2019-05-17 | Stills and Grills Fest North Wilkesboro, NC | 2 / 21 (682.8000) | 8 (170.2972) | 1 (176.5716) | 1 (170.8228) | 9 (165.1084) |
| 2019-05-03 | Jiggy With The Piggy Kannapolis, NC | 22 / 60 (667.8860) | 7 (171.9772) | 31 (163.9544) | 18 (168.5372) | 35 (163.4172) |
| 2019-04-26 | BBQ Capital Cook Off Lexington, NC | 1 / 43 (689.6684) | 7 (173.7144) | 1 (176.5828) | 16 (167.4056) | 6 (171.9656) |
| 2019-03-23 | BBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2) Urbanna, VA | 14 / 52 (674.2060) | 13 (173.1544) | 12 (171.4172) | 27 (165.0972) | 26 (164.5372) |
| 2019-03-22 | BBQ Gives Back-III (Day 1) Urbanna, VA | 1 / 63 (691.9316) | 9 (171.9772) | 11 (169.6800) | 4 (173.7144) | 2 (176.5600) |
| 2019-03-01 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival Lawrenceville, GA | 2 / 62 (687.9316) | 1 (178.8572) | 9 (172.5716) | 8 (171.4056) | 35 (165.0972) |
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 | #204 (1015 pts) | #188 (1056 pts) | #184 (1169 pts) | #204 (1004 pts) | #97 (1475 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #116 (1447 pts) | #102 (1468 pts) | #143 (1317 pts) | #142 (1267 pts) | #131 (1342 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #173 (1064 pts) | #150 (1159 pts) | #117 (1360 pts) | #196 (974 pts) | #156 (1099 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #5 (2515 pts) | #13 (2097 pts) | #8 (2133 pts) | #7 (2227 pts) | #22 (1781 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #23 (2516 pts) | #26 (2207 pts) | #55 (1983 pts) | #52 (2001 pts) | #93 (1746 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #122 (1795 pts) | #153 (1535 pts) | #156 (1505 pts) | #195 (1375 pts) | #202 (1405 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #82 (2067 pts) | #18 (2358 pts) | #188 (1467 pts) | #109 (1778 pts) | #88 (1890 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #308 (1148 pts) | #320 (1123 pts) | #251 (1323 pts) | #395 (993 pts) | #246 (1318 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #261 (1277 pts) | #151 (1592 pts) | #391 (942 pts) | #206 (1372 pts) | #167 (1642 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #348 (1047 pts) | #180 (1497 pts) | #339 (1067 pts) | #367 (1012 pts) | #424 (897 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1694 (126 pts) | #1681 (136 pts) | #1784 (126 pts) | #1287 (211 pts) | #1736 (126 pts) |