Riding a hot streak
10
straight overall top-10s
Currently on a 10-contest overall top-10 run.
- career best 10
Loose Cannon BBQ
Loose Cannon BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 20 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 36 at the Best of the Midwest BBQ (2022), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #1228 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1584
peak 1584 · rated over 16 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
20
in the data
First seen
Dec 2, 2016
latest Sep 15, 2023 · 6.8 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
2 reserve
Category wins
1
8 podiums
Overall top-10s
13
65% of 20 contests
Best top-10 run
11
straight overall top-10s, still running
Avg finish
top 42%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
330.92 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 323.07 (+7.84)
Walk rate
80%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±12.73
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 167.88 · weakest Brisket (154.82)
Road miles
2,326
across 19 mapped stops · furthest 599 mi
Schedule strength
40%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1553)
Purse competed for
$70K
listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 7 state-championship entries
Master avg
641.59 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
323.07 / 360
11 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
504.54 / 540
4 Backyard (3-meat) contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), 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.
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #79 (761 pts) | #104 (633 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1243 (107 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #42 (874 pts) | #42 (847 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #72 (525 pts) | #52 (695 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #1087 (97 pts) | #1098 (107 pts) | #995 (127 pts) | #1124 (97 pts) | #1161 (82 pts) |
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Loose Cannon BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
32 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,232 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1606
Careers of much the same size, 20 contests to 20, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,226 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1597
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 4 years before Loose Cannon BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,225 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 42%
- Peak
- 1594
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 26 contests, alongside a 42% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#1,235 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1584
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,233 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 60%
- Peak
- 1584
They turned up 7 years after Loose Cannon BBQ did, first appearing in 2023.
⚔ Compare careers#1,229 of the rated field
- Contests
- 35
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 49%
- Peak
- 1612
Level with Loose Cannon BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shmack Q | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| Stone Cold Grillers | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| WE WILL ROCK QUE | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| 309 BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| RUBY CREEK BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| QUE U | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Rudes BBQ | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Up From The Pits BBQ | 6 | 3 | 2 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ BUS | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Rusty Pig BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| T Daddys BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SmoQued On Main St | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 19 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 177.1428 | 143.9428 | 162.78 | top 40% |
| Pork Ribs | 20 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 175.4172 | 146.7772 | 163.95 | top 38% |
| Pork | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 178.8572 | 159.3712 | 167.88 | top 44% |
| Brisket | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 159.9772 | 149.6684 | 154.82 | top 94% |
“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 field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 6 | 0 | top 62% |
| Medium (20–39) | 11 | 0 | top 30% |
| Large (40+) | 2 | 0 | top 46% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 5 | 0 | top 30% | Aug 19, 2023 |
| Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 74% | Sep 15, 2023 |
| Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 26% | Jul 14, 2023 |
| Best of the Midwest BBQ | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 10% | Oct 14, 2022 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2022
8 contests
Contests a season
4
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IL
14 of 20 contests · 5 states in all
Contests visited
14
4 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
20 entries · 0 wins · 12 calls
Opponents faced
335
finished ahead 357 times, behind 221
Longest layoff
4.6 yrs
Dec 2, 2016 → Jul 23, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20234 milestones
- First category win (Chicken) Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
- Peak power rating (1584) Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Career-best overall score678.7768 Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES)
- Most recent contest Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES)
20225 milestones
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score325.1544 Westmont Red White & BBQ Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2022 (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 10th tracked contest Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
- First overall podium Bar-B-QC (Backyard)
- First Reserve Championship Bar-B-QC (Backyard)
- Career-best single call (Pork)178.8572 Bar-B-QC (Backyard)
—3 milestones
- First tracked contest Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First call Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall top-10 Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.9 | Best of the Midwest BBQ | Oct 14, 2022 |
| +14.5 | Bar-B-QC (Backyard) | Sep 9, 2022 |
| +13.6 | Best of the Midwest BBQ | Oct 22, 2021 |
| +12 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown | Jul 14, 2023 |
| +10.8 | Westmont Red White & BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) | May 27, 2023 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -7.3 | Honor-Q | Sep 10, 2021 |
| -6.9 | Hot Summer Nights Smoke n Sauce BBQ- (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jul 23, 2021 |
| -6.5 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II Day 1 (BACKYARD) | Oct 15, 2021 |
| -6.3 | Christmas on the River | Dec 2, 2016 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 47% | 85.4% | 85.4% |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 80% | top 25% | 95.7% | 94% |
| 2022 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 88% | top 27% | 98.1% | 91.6% |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 80% | top 70% | 88.5% | 83.1% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 85% | 89.7% | 89.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 15, 2023 | Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) unrated Yorkville, IL | 8 / 17 (678.7768) | 2 (176.5600) | 2 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Aug 19, 2023 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 6 / 32 (335.3944) | 4 (171.9772) | 11 (163.4172) | — | — |
| Jul 14, 2023 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL | 3 / 25 (344.5372) | 1 (177.1428) | 5 (167.3944) | — | — |
| Jun 17, 2023 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 10 / 33 (332.5600) | 14 (165.6800) | 11 (166.8800) | — | — |
| May 27, 2023 | Westmont Red White & BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Westmont, IL | 5 / 34 (510.2856) | 6 (174.8800) | 16 (164) | 3 (171.4056) | — |
| Nov 4, 2022 | Saluting with Smoke Single Meat Rib Burn (ONE MEAT RIBS) Yorkville, IL | — | — | 13 (169.1544) | — | — |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 2 / 36 (334.7540) | 5 (166.2284) | 3 (168.5256) | — | — |
| Sep 16, 2022 | Smokin' For Garrett 🏅 Mt. Carmel, IL | 10 / 27 (505.1428) | 8 (171.4628) | 14 (162.2744) | 7 (171.4056) | — |
| Sep 9, 2022 | Bar-B-QC (Backyard) Davenport, IA | 2 / 13 (529.6916) | 2 (175.4172) | 3 (175.4172) | 3 (178.8572) | — |
| Aug 20, 2022 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 5 / 20 (325.0628) | 4 (165.6684) | 9 (159.3944) | — | — |
| Jul 15, 2022 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL | 10 / 25 (313.6456) | 9 (158.2512) | 9 (155.3944) | — | — |
| Jun 24, 2022 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 12 / 36 (319.4060) | 13 (151.9428) | 5 (167.4632) | — | — |
| May 28, 2022 | Westmont Red White & BBQ Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2022 (BACKYARD ONLY) Westmont, IL | 9 / 28 (325.1544) | 9 (165.1772) | 13 (159.9772) | — | — |
| Nov 5, 2021 | Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) unrated Yorkville, IL | 18 / 18 (490.7196) | 18 (147.4056) | 6 (166.2628) | — | — |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 6 / 44 (299.9428) | 6 (153.1656) | 5 (146.7772) | — | — |
| Oct 15, 2021 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II Day 1 (BACKYARD) West Salem, WI | 31 / 40 (316.0116) | 28 (157.1544) | 28 (158.8572) | — | — |
| Sep 10, 2021 | Honor-Q 🏅 Yorkville, IL | 14 / 17 (637.0512) | 12 (159.4056) | 9 (168.6060) | 14 (159.3712) | 17 (149.6684) |
| Jul 23, 2021 | Hot Summer Nights Smoke n Sauce BBQ- (BACKYARD ONLY) Bloomington, IN | 11 / 14 (473.0512) | 12 (146.7884) | 7 (162.2628) | 7 (164) | — |
| Dec 2, 2016 | Christmas on the River Demopolis, AL | 29 / 34 (646.1372) | 23 (164.5256) | 30 (159.3716) | 26 (162.2628) | 30 (159.9772) |
| — | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 8 / 17 (307.3484) | 13 (143.9428) | 4 (163.4056) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.