FIRED UP SMOKERS

FIRED UP SMOKERS is a competition barbecue team with 34 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2017. They have won 2 Grand Championships, most recently at the Chesapeake Jubilee BBQ Cook-Off (2015). They are ranked #697 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#697

of 6,485 rated · rankings

Rating

1642

peak 1656 · rated over 32 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 21, 2013

latest Oct 13, 2017 · 4.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#325

Master 2015 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve · wins it all 6% of the time

Category wins

12 podiums

Overall top-10s

29% of 34 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 35%

overall standings

Best overall

693.7144 / 720

Master · Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

658.62 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 664.20 (-5.58)

Walk rate

71%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Chicken · BBQ Capital Cook-Off

Consistency

±16.01

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 167.12 · weakest Pork (164.31)

Road miles

6,485

across 34 mapped stops · furthest 856 mi

Schedule strength

40%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1552)

Master avg

664.20 / 720

34 Master contests · 2 GCs

Storylines (14 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

Against the odds

27-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 73 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Chesapeake Jubilee BBQ Cook-Off (May 15, 2015) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 27-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, REDNECK SCIENTIFIC.

Giant slayer

36 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 36-team field at Chesapeake Jubilee BBQ Cook-Off.

May 15, 2015

Happy hunting ground

Top 18% average finish here

Jiggy With the Piggy is their spot: an average finish in the top 18% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 11th
average top 18%

They almost always walk

71% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 24 of 34 contests

A top-10 category call in 71% of their 34 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

693.7144 career-best overall

96.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 693.7144 at Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival — 96.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 10, 2016

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

SAUCED! BBQ TEAM has finished one call ahead of FIRED UP SMOKERS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

19–6 behind in the head-to-head

REDNECK SCIENTIFIC ahead in 76% of their meetings

REDNECK SCIENTIFIC has come out ahead in 19 of their 25 shared contests.

Show 7 more storylines

The drought

18 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Chesapeake Jubilee BBQ Cook-Off on May 15, 2015 — 18 contests and 11.4 years ago.

last GC May 15, 2015
11.4 years ago

A strong matchup

14–6 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 70% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC in 14 of their 20 shared contests.

Pork Ribs nemesis

16 of 25 shared pork ribs entries lost

MUTTLEY CREW BBQ ahead 64% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, MUTTLEY CREW BBQ has out-cooked them in 16 of 25 shared pork ribs entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

SMOKE ON THIS has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A May team

Top 26% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 26% across 6 contests, versus top 35% the rest of the year.

6 May contests
top 35% the rest of the year

The long haul

6,485 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 6,485 miles across 34 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 856 miles to 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational.

34 mapped stops
furthest 856 mi

The metronome

±2.22% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.22% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 92.3% of a perfect score
34 contests

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
2017 ↗	Master	#886 (400 pts)	#1022 (365 pts)	#635 (640 pts)	#1131 (300 pts)	#645 (615 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#397 (980 pts)	#568 (710 pts)	#619 (660 pts)	#533 (770 pts)	#345 (1,085 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#325 (1,131 pts)	#377 (991 pts)	#348 (1,036 pts)	#477 (821 pts)	#418 (901 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#400 (946 pts)	#464 (831 pts)	#299 (1,181 pts)	#397 (931 pts)	#325 (1,101 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#690 (452 pts)	#786 (417 pts)	#704 (472 pts)	#756 (442 pts)	#815 (387 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to FIRED UP SMOKERS, each with one reason worth a look.

Tuffy's BBQ

#695 of the rated field

1643 power rating

Contests: 32
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1643

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 30 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 30 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q

#696 of the rated field

1642 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1642

Fewer contests behind them than FIRED UP SMOKERS has cooked, 16 to 34, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Sep 12, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

BIG SHOW BBQ COOKIN' TEAM

#692 of the rated field

1644 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1648

6–7 in 13 shared contests (46% to FIRED UP SMOKERS)

These two have cooked 13 of the same contests — BIG SHOW BBQ COOKIN' TEAM ahead 7–6 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 31 contests
last seen Mar 24, 2017

⚔ Head-to-head

DIVA Q

#700 of the rated field

1641 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 44
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1654

1–2 in 3 shared contests (33% to FIRED UP SMOKERS)

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 44 contests, alongside a 43% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 41 contests
last seen Jan 25, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

SLINGIN MEATS

#694 of the rated field

1643 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 32
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1643

They turned up 9 years after FIRED UP SMOKERS did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 31 contests
last seen Sep 4, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

LOVE-N-SMOKE

#699 of the rated field

1642 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 34
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 44%
Peak: 1643

Level with FIRED UP SMOKERS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 34 contests
last seen Apr 29, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	25	11	14	44%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	25	6	19	24%	⚔ compare
SAUCED! BBQ TEAM	23	4	19	17%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN SKULLIES	22	8	14	36%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA	22	5	17	23%	⚔ compare
HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC	20	14	6	70%	⚔ compare
FatHeads bbq	20	11	9	55%	⚔ compare
K & D SMOKERS	19	11	8	58%	⚔ compare
SMOKE THIS	18	6	12	33%	⚔ compare
Grillin' Thyme	16	13	3	81%	⚔ compare
PICKIN' PORKERS	16	10	6	63%	⚔ compare
WHO CARES BBQ	16	9	7	56%	⚔ compare
CAROLINA SMOKE	15	13	2	87%	⚔ compare
BOBO'S QUE	15	12	3	80%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED PIG	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	34	7	1	3	178.8572	154.2400	165.95	top 48%
Pork Ribs	34	10	1	3	176.5828	157.6456	167.12	top 36%
Pork	34	8	0	2	177.7028	146.2400	164.31	top 48%
Brisket	34	12	0	4	177.7028	147.3372	166.82	top 33%

“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)	1	1	top 6%
Medium (20–39)	11	1	top 35%
Large (40+)	22	0	top 37%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
NC	27	0	top 34%
VA	4	2	top 28%
TN	2	0	top 58%
MO	1	0	top 43%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Beak Week BBQ Challenge	3	3	0	top 23%	Sep 8, 2017
Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship	2	1	1	top 33%	Jul 18, 2014
Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival	2	6	0	top 43%	May 19, 2017
Jiggy With the Piggy	2	11	0	top 18%	May 5, 2017
Uptown Lexington BBQ Capital Cook Off	2	14	0	top 41%	Apr 28, 2017
Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic	2	24	0	top 38%	Sep 16, 2016
Peak City Pig Fest	2	11	0	top 32%	Jun 20, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 9 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 6.8 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NC 27 of 34 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 26 7 of them more than once

First title Jul 19, 2013 Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship

Opponents faced 798 finished ahead 1,182 times, behind 656

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

20172 milestones

May 5 Peak power rating (1656) Jiggy With the Piggy
Oct 13 Most recent contest Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down

20162 milestones

May 20 25th tracked contest Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival
Jun 10 Career-best overall score693.7144 Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival

20152 milestones

Apr 24 Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8572 BBQ Capital Cook-Off
May 15 Biggest field won (36 teams) Chesapeake Jubilee BBQ Cook-Off

20141 milestone

Jun 20 10th tracked contest Peak City Pig Fest

20137 milestones

Jun 21 First tracked contest Peak City Pig Fest
Jun 21 First call Peak City Pig Fest
Jun 21 First overall past 90% of a perfect score652.5710 Peak City Pig Fest
Jul 19 First category win (Chicken) Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship
Jul 19 First overall top-10 Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship
Jul 19 First overall podium Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship
Jul 19 First Grand Championship Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship	Jul 19, 2013
+15.1	Chesapeake Jubilee BBQ Cook-Off	May 15, 2015
+13.7	Beak Week BBQ Challenge	Sep 11, 2015
+13.5	Jammin' Pig BBQ Musice Festival	Apr 11, 2014
+12.8	Beak Week BBQ Challenge	Sep 9, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.2	Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival	May 19, 2017
-8.9	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down	Oct 11, 2013
-4.9	Eastern Carolina BBQ ThrowDown	Oct 10, 2014
-4.7	Uptown Lexington BBQ Capital Cook Off	Apr 28, 2017
-4.4	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship	Jul 18, 2014

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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)
2017	5	0	0	0	60%	top 49%	93.3%	91.5%
2016	7	0	3	0	71%	top 21%	96.3%	94.4%
2015	9	1	4	1	78%	top 29%	95.2%	93%
2014	8	0	2	0	75%	top 37%	93.9%	91.4%
2013	5	1	1	1	60%	top 50%	93.5%	90.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 13, 2017	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down Rocky Mount, NC	23 / 50 (659.8860)	38 (158.2172)	4 (172.5716)	28 (162.2516)	18 (166.8456)
Sep 8, 2017	Beak Week BBQ Challenge Goldsboro, NC	21 / 39 (663.9084)	28 (164.5600)	7 (170.8456)	27 (160.5028)	16 (168)
May 19, 2017	Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival Ayden, NC	24 / 36 (637.5768)	23 (161.6684)	18 (162.2744)	26 (157.6800)	26 (155.9540)
May 5, 2017	Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC	16 / 75 (671.8744)	29 (168.5256)	15 (169.6916)	56 (157.6572)	3 (176)
Apr 28, 2017	Uptown Lexington BBQ Capital Cook Off Lexington, NC	21 / 38 (659.8628)	14 (169.7028)	29 (160.5372)	25 (162.2400)	13 (167.3828)
Sep 16, 2016	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic Salisbury, NC	24 / 68 (659.2800)	36 (165.0972)	24 (165.6800)	42 (159.3944)	14 (169.1084)
Sep 9, 2016	Beak Week BBQ Challenge Goldsboro, NC	3 / 44 (686.2400)	16 (170.8228)	27 (165.1316)	2 (177.7028)	4 (172.5828)
Jul 22, 2016	WNC BBQ Festival- Maggie Valley, NC	17 / 49 (678.7312)	14 (171.4056)	23 (167.3828)	27 (167.3828)	14 (172.5600)
Jun 10, 2016	Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival Tryon, NC	7 / 76 (693.7144)	16 (173.1544)	6 (174.2972)	24 (168.5600)	3 (177.7028)
May 20, 2016	Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival Ayden, NC	6 / 30 (670.7312)	10 (167.9656)	12 (165.6800)	4 (169.1200)	8 (167.9656)
May 6, 2016	Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC	11 / 76 (685.0400)	10 (174.2628)	16 (171.9772)	26 (167.3828)	16 (171.4172)
Apr 22, 2016	Uptown Lexington BBQ Capital Cook Off Lexington, NC	14 / 54 (681.6344)	28 (168.5600)	24 (169.6800)	26 (168.5372)	8 (174.8572)
Oct 23, 2015	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	33 / 93 (674.8112)	57 (166.8228)	75 (160.5484)	24 (170.8800)	6 (176.5600)
Oct 9, 2015	Eastern Carolina BBQ ThrowDown Rocky Mount, NC	9 / 49 (670.1944)	19 (166.8228)	25 (164.5372)	4 (173.1200)	18 (165.7144)
Sep 18, 2015	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic Salisbury, NC	24 / 59 (669.0056)	32 (166.2284)	20 (166.2628)	24 (168.5372)	23 (167.9772)
Sep 11, 2015	Beak Week BBQ Challenge Goldsboro, NC	3 / 32 (674.2168)	9 (170.2628)	1 (176.5828)	26 (161.1084)	14 (166.2628)
Jul 17, 2015	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship Galax, VA	13 / 29 (667.2568)	14 (166.2284)	19 (163.3828)	10 (170.2628)	11 (167.3828)
Jun 19, 2015	Peak City Pigfest Apex, NC	22 / 45 (652.3996)	36 (159.3600)	15 (166.8456)	42 (151.3484)	4 (174.8456)
May 15, 2015	Chesapeake Jubilee BBQ Cook-Off Chesapeake, VA	1 / 36 (672.5716)	4 (171.4400)	5 (168.0344)	12 (166.2744)	8 (166.8228)
Apr 24, 2015	BBQ Capital Cook-Off Lexington, NC	8 / 60 (685.1200)	2 (178.8572)	12 (171.9656)	14 (169.7372)	24 (164.5600)
Apr 10, 2015	Bib's Camel City Cookoff (formerly Jammin' Pig) Winston-Salem, NC	25 / 51 (659.3604)	37 (162.2516)	16 (169.7488)	29 (163.3944)	23 (163.9656)
Oct 10, 2014	Eastern Carolina BBQ ThrowDown Rocky Mount, NC	34 / 53 (635.8744)	38 (157.0972)	3 (174.2972)	50 (146.2400)	32 (158.2400)
Sep 19, 2014	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally Salisbury, NC	38 / 64 (654.7084)	51 (159.3600)	24 (167.3828)	49 (158.8456)	16 (169.1200)
Jul 18, 2014	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship Galax, VA	18 / 30 (649.5772)	15 (165.1200)	3 (169.7028)	27 (150.7884)	14 (163.9660)
Jun 20, 2014	Peak City Pig Fest Apex, NC	11 / 48 (660.4344)	23 (165.1200)	17 (163.9544)	21 (163.3828)	7 (167.9772)
Jun 6, 2014	Lincolnton Hog Happenin' Lincolnton, NC	7 / 38 (675.8972)	20 (165.1200)	4 (171.9656)	6 (171.9772)	13 (166.8344)
May 9, 2014	Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge Kannapolis, NC	24 / 80 (662.1372)	48 (159.3716)	18 (167.4172)	13 (171.4056)	34 (163.9428)
Apr 25, 2014	BBQ Capital Cookoff Lexington, NC	18 / 62 (656.4572)	40 (160.5372)	37 (157.6456)	10 (169.1200)	6 (169.1544)
Apr 11, 2014	Jammin' Pig BBQ Musice Festival Winston-Salem, NC	4 / 30 (671.3488)	2 (171.4172)	14 (162.8116)	6 (168.5600)	3 (168.5600)
Oct 25, 2013	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN	78 / 97 (627.8512)	82 (155.4400)	77 (159.3828)	43 (165.6912)	84 (147.3372)
Oct 11, 2013	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down Rocky Mount, NC	43 / 55 (623.3144)	47 (154.2400)	4 (171.4400)	55 (146.2400)	43 (151.3944)
Oct 3, 2013	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	74 / 174 (666.2056)	73 (167.4400)	76 (165.6800)	67 (167.9656)	85 (165.1200)
Jul 19, 2013	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship Galax, VA	1 / 16 (673.0512)	1 (176.5600)	6 (166.8228)	12 (158.8228)	2 (170.8456)
Jun 21, 2013	Peak City Pig Fest Apex, NC	15 / 36 (652.5710)	22 (163.4284)	19 (159.9998)	2 (174.2858)	23 (154.8570)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

FIRED UP SMOKERS

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (14 found in their record)

Against the odds

Giant slayer

Happy hunting ground

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The drought

A strong matchup

Pork Ribs nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A May team

The long haul

The metronome

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)