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EPIC BBQ CRU

EPIC BBQ CRU is a competition barbecue team with 42 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship (2014), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #782 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#782
of 6,485 rated · rankings

Rating

1630
peak 1631 · rated over 42 contests

Contests

42
in the data

First seen

Apr 19, 2013
latest Oct 26, 2018 · 5.5 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#278
Master 2014 · every season

Grand champs

1
1 reserve · wins it all 2% of the time

Category wins

5
20 podiums

Overall top-10s

18
43% of 42 contests

Best top-10 run

4
straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 41%
overall standings

Best overall

698.8228 / 720
Master · Delta Smoke BBQ Contest

Perfect 180s

0

Current form

665.87 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 666.65 (-0.78)

Walk rate

64%
contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

179.4286
Brisket · Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival

Consistency

±18.85
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken
avg 168.34 · weakest Pork Ribs (164.80)

Road miles

7,000
across 42 mapped stops · furthest 368 mi

Schedule strength

52%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1567)

Master avg

666.65 / 720
42 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (12 found in their record)

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

Against the odds

32-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 68 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship (Oct 3, 2014) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 32-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, FIRE DANCER BBQ.

They almost always walk

64% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 27 of 42 contests

A top-10 category call in 64% of their 42 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

698.8228 career-best overall

97.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 698.8228 at Delta Smoke BBQ Contest — 97.1% of a perfect 720.

  • Master
  • Jun 9, 2017

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

KILLER HOGS has finished one call ahead of EPIC BBQ CRU 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

17–4 behind in the head-to-head

FIRE DANCER BBQ ahead in 81% of their meetings

FIRE DANCER BBQ has come out ahead in 17 of their 21 shared contests.

The drought

27 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship on Oct 3, 2014 — 27 contests and 12 years ago.

  • last GC Oct 3, 2014
  • 12 years ago
Show 5 more storylines

Chicken nemesis

17 of 21 shared chicken entries lost

FIRE DANCER BBQ ahead 81% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, FIRE DANCER BBQ has out-cooked them in 17 of 21 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

5× one call behind them

BBQR'S DELIGHT has landed one call behind them 5 times.

An October team

Top 29% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 29% across 5 contests, versus top 41% the rest of the year.

  • 5 October contests
  • top 41% the rest of the year

The long haul

7,000 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 7,000 miles across 42 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 368 miles to Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.

  • 42 mapped stops
  • furthest 368 mi

A standing appointment

6 years running at one contest

They've cooked Laurie Hillbilly BBQ every year from 2013 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

  • 6 visits in all
  • best finish 9th

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

YearSeriesOverallChickenRibsPorkBrisket
2018 ↗ Master #639 (534 pts) #544 (684 pts) #696 (514 pts) #634 (589 pts) #623 (589 pts)
2016 ↗ Master #513 (770 pts) #421 (930 pts) #643 (635 pts) #632 (635 pts) #416 (965 pts)
2015 ↗ Master #675 (538 pts) #757 (488 pts) #597 (653 pts) #732 (513 pts) #800 (458 pts)
2014 ↗ Master #278 (1,243 pts) #236 (1,318 pts) #370 (998 pts) #292 (1,178 pts) #285 (1,208 pts)
2013 ↗ Master #326 (939 pts) #373 (829 pts) #389 (799 pts) #375 (829 pts) #201 (1,324 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to EPIC BBQ CRU, each with one reason worth a look.

WICHITA SWINEMEN
#781 of the rated field
1630 power rating
Contests
46
GCs
1
Top-10s
39%
Peak
1665
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to EPIC BBQ CRU)

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

  • rated over 45 contests
  • last seen Oct 18, 2019
⚔ Head-to-head
DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES
#785 of the rated field
1630 power rating
Contests
40
GCs
0
Top-10s
35%
Peak
1636
6–2 in 8 shared contests (75% to EPIC BBQ CRU)

Careers of much the same size, 40 contests to 42, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

  • rated over 39 contests
  • last seen Nov 9, 2018
⚔ Head-to-head
LONGNECK SIPPERS
#780 of the rated field
1630 power rating
Contests
25
GCs
2
Top-10s
40%
Peak
1630
3–3 in 6 shared contests (50% to EPIC BBQ CRU)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 25 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

  • rated over 25 contests
  • last seen Oct 5, 2018
⚔ Head-to-head
Cotton BBQ
#778 of the rated field
1630 power rating
Contests
43
GCs
0
Top-10s
30%
Peak
1630

43 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 30% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

  • rated over 42 contests
  • last seen Oct 2, 2026
⚔ Compare careers
LAZY BACON BBQ
#777 of the rated field
1630 power rating
Contests
39
GCs
0
Top-10s
31%
Peak
1652

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

  • rated over 39 contests
  • last seen Nov 5, 2025
⚔ Compare careers
SMOKEN DUDES BBQ
#779 of the rated field
1630 power rating
Contests
33
GCs
1
Top-10s
24%
Peak
1646

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

  • rated over 33 contests
  • last seen Sep 28, 2018
⚔ Compare careers

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

OpponentMeetingsAheadBehindWin rate
FIRE DANCER BBQ 21 4 17 19% ⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED 20 5 15 25% ⚔ compare
DAD'S GRILLIN CREW 15 4 11 27% ⚔ compare
HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE 15 2 13 13% ⚔ compare
BBQR'S DELIGHT 13 11 2 85% ⚔ compare
RAZORRACKS 13 6 7 46% ⚔ compare
BIG BUTTS NEED RUBBIN TOO 11 4 7 36% ⚔ compare
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ 11 1 10 9% ⚔ compare
BRICKHEAD BBQ 10 4 6 40% ⚔ compare
SMOOTH SMOKE 10 3 7 30% ⚔ compare
BURNT FINGER BBQ 10 2 8 20% ⚔ compare
ROYAL SMOKERS 9 6 3 67% ⚔ compare
SIZZLIN' BONES BBQ 9 5 4 56% ⚔ compare
MOKAN MEATHEADS 9 5 4 56% ⚔ compare
501 BBQ 9 5 4 56% ⚔ compare

By meat

CategoryEntriesCallsWinsPodiumsBestWorstAverageAvg finish
Chicken 42 14 2 7 178.8572 142.8684 168.34 top 42%
Pork Ribs 42 11 0 3 177.1428 139.9312 164.80 top 51%
Pork 42 14 0 4 176.0228 149.1428 166.60 top 45%
Brisket 42 16 3 6 179.4286 151.9540 166.92 top 40%

“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

FieldContestsGCsAvg finish
Small (<20 teams)20top 41%
Medium (20–39)261top 41%
Large (40+)140top 42%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

WhereContestsGCsAvg finish
MO180top 39%
AR151top 35%
OK70top 63%
LA20top 35%

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

ContestVisitsBestGCsAvg finishLast visit
Laurie Hillbilly BBQ 6 9 0 top 35% Aug 3, 2018
Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship 3 1 1 top 17% Oct 6, 2017
Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash 2 9 0 top 44% Sep 29, 2017
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour 2 5 0 top 35% Mar 4, 2016
Rock'n Freedom 2 16 0 top 48% Jun 19, 2015
MO Veterans Home BBQ BIVOUAC 2 21 0 top 75% Nov 8, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2014 10 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season 7 across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in MO 18 of 42 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited 31 6 of them more than once
First title Oct 3, 2014 Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship
Opponents faced 801 finished ahead 886 times, behind 627

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

20182 milestones
  1. Peak power rating (1631) Smokin on the White
  2. Most recent contest 10th Annual Smokin the Fort BBQ & Music Festival
20171 milestone
  1. Career-best overall score698.8228 Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
20161 milestone
  1. First Reserve Championship Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship
20151 milestone
  1. 25th tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)
20143 milestones
  1. 10th tracked contest The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake
  2. First overall podium Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship
  3. First Grand Championship Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship
20136 milestones
  1. First tracked contest Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival
  2. First call Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival
  3. First category win (Brisket) Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival
  4. First overall past 90% of a perfect score667.4284 Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival
  5. Career-best single call (Brisket)179.4286 Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival
  6. First overall top-10 Lake of the Ozarks Blues & BBQ Weekend

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

SwingContestDate
+14Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ ChampionshipOct 3, 2014
+13.8Bucks, Ducks & BBQJul 18, 2014
+12.5Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ ChampionshipOct 7, 2016
+12.2Delta Smoke BBQ ContestJun 9, 2017
+11.6Table Rock Boats and BonesSep 13, 2014

📉 Toughest weekends

SwingContestDate
-12.9Smokin' At The Run ShootoutMar 14, 2014
-12.6Bixby BBQ'N Blues FestivalMay 1, 2015
-10.2Smokin' At The RunMar 15, 2014
-7.316th Annual Bordertown BashJul 7, 2017
-4.9MO Veterans Home BBQ BIVOUACNov 8, 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

SeasonContestsGCsTop-10sCategory winsWalk rateAvg finishBest overall (% of perfect)Avg overall (% of perfect)
20184021 75% top 39% 94.4% 92.6%
20177051 71% top 36% 97.1% 93.4%
20166030 67% top 39% 95.6% 92.7%
20158010 50% top 48% 95% 91.7%
201410141 50% top 50% 96.6% 92.5%
20137032 86% top 30% 94.2% 92.7%

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

DateEventOverallChickenRibsPorkBrisket
Oct 26, 2018 10th Annual Smokin the Fort BBQ & Music Festival Fort Gibson, OK 15 / 27 (650.2176) 13 (166.2744) 11 (164.5372) 11 (165.1316) 16 (154.2744)
Sep 7, 2018 Smokin on the White Batesville, AR 6 / 17 (668.5028) 3 (170.8456) 6 (168.5600) 2 (170.2972) 15 (158.8000)
Aug 3, 2018 Laurie Hillbilly BBQ Laurie, MO 13 / 35 (668.4116) 11 (170.8344) 30 (155.9316) 21 (163.9428) 1 (177.7028)
May 4, 2018 37th Annual Kennett Jaycee's Kennett, MO 7 / 25 (679.9772) 3 (174.8572) 5 (170.2972) 8 (170.8228) 12 (164)
Oct 6, 2017 Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship Sheridan, AR 10 / 25 (662.2400) 12 (165.1544) 2 (175.4400) 16 (161.1200) 15 (160.5256)
Sep 29, 2017 Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash Bryant, AR 9 / 19 (661.6000) 9 (165.6800) 11 (162.8228) 7 (168) 8 (165.0972)
Sep 22, 2017 Bikes, Blues and BBQ Fayetteville, AR 9 / 38 (671.3488) 15 (167.9772) 16 (166.2744) 11 (170.2628) 15 (166.8344)
Aug 4, 2017 Laurie Hillbilly BBQ Laurie, MO 16 / 40 (678.7312) 6 (174.2628) 16 (167.9772) 22 (166.8228) 16 (169.6684)
Jul 7, 2017 16th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR 23 / 31 (658.7312) 17 (169.1084) 25 (162.8572) 12 (170.2628) 26 (156.5028)
Jun 9, 2017 Delta Smoke BBQ Contest Wynne, AR 4 / 45 (698.8228) 1 (178.8572) 4 (177.1428) 12 (171.9656) 13 (170.8572)
May 5, 2017 36th Annual Kennett Jaycee's Kennett, MO 7 / 34 (678.2168) 16 (165.7028) 23 (162.8228) 3 (174.8456) 5 (174.8456)
Oct 7, 2016 Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship Sheridan, AR 2 / 27 (688.5712) 3 (173.7028) 3 (176.6172) 8 (167.4284) 5 (170.8228)
Sep 23, 2016 Bryant's Buzzin BBQ Bash Bryant, AR 10 / 25 (655.9084) 19 (152) 8 (167.4172) 12 (162.7884) 3 (173.7028)
Aug 5, 2016 Laurie Hillbilly BBQ Laurie, MO 20 / 50 (672.4916) 17 (170.2628) 28 (165.6916) 19 (167.4172) 15 (169.1200)
Jul 8, 2016 15th Annual Bordertown Bash Fort Smith, AR 25 / 39 (652.4684) 24 (167.9656) 27 (161.1316) 22 (161.6912) 18 (161.6800)
May 13, 2016 Boots and BBQ Festival Claremore, OK 8 / 28 (686.8688) 4 (177.7028) 18 (163.4288) 14 (169.7028) 2 (176.0344)
Mar 4, 2016 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Shreveport, LA 16 / 30 (650.1712) 2 (173.7028) 27 (151.9772) 16 (161.6684) 15 (162.8228)
Sep 25, 2015 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Midwest City, OK 17 / 30 (666.1940) 15 (169.6800) 16 (168.5484) 15 (167.4284) 25 (160.5372)
Sep 19, 2015 Hot Springs Blues & BBQ Hot Springs, AR 12 / 29 (671.3712) 14 (169.1428) 23 (162.2400) 3 (174.2856) 16 (165.7028)
Jul 31, 2015 Laurie Hillbilly BBQ Laurie, MO 19 / 38 (671.2912) 29 (163.9656) 28 (163.9428) 17 (167.3828) 4 (176)
Jun 19, 2015 Rock'n Freedom Seymour, MO 23 / 36 (663.8740) 18 (168.5600) 18 (166.8112) 30 (159.3828) 13 (169.1200)
May 8, 2015 Boots & BBQ Festival Claremore, OK 11 / 29 (683.9200) 15 (171.9772) 14 (169.6800) 9 (172.5828) 9 (169.6800)
May 1, 2015 Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival Bixby, OK 67 / 81 (587.8396) 71 (142.8684) 76 (139.9312) 66 (152.5256) 49 (152.5144)
Apr 24, 2015 Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival Springfield, MO 21 / 63 (658.7656) 45 (159.9772) 11 (171.4172) 39 (161.1200) 15 (166.2512)
Mar 6, 2015 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Shreveport, LA 5 / 29 (679.8856) 7 (170.8228) 2 (174.2628) 8 (170.8228) 17 (163.9772)
Nov 8, 2014 MO Veterans Home BBQ BIVOUAC St. James, MO 22 / 27 (671.4288) 22 (166.8228) 23 (162.8800) 21 (169.1200) 12 (172.6060)
Nov 7, 2014 MO Veterans Home BBQ BIVOUAC St. James, MO 21 / 31 (666.8000) 16 (169.7028) 26 (159.3944) 20 (166.2856) 11 (171.4172)
Oct 3, 2014 Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship Sheridan, AR 1 / 25 (689.0972) 4 (171.9656) 6 (168.5716) 7 (172.5600) 2 (176)
Sep 13, 2014 Table Rock Boats and Bones Kimberling City, MO 7 / 34 (678.2856) 8 (174.2628) 23 (162.8572) 10 (170.3200) 6 (170.8456)
Aug 1, 2014 Laurie Hillbilly BBQ Laurie, MO 9 / 47 (677.0744) 1 (177.7144) 8 (172) 7 (172.5600) 37 (154.8000)
Jul 18, 2014 Bucks, Ducks & BBQ Conway, AR 4 / 26 (695.3712) 7 (175.4056) 13 (169.6800) 3 (176.0228) 6 (174.2628)
May 9, 2014 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour St. Charles, MO 21 / 30 (656.4800) 22 (163.9772) 8 (169.1200) 22 (164.5600) 26 (158.8228)
Apr 11, 2014 The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake Smithville, MO 23 / 54 (650.7884) 28 (163.3944) 37 (158.2400) 16 (166.2856) 19 (162.8684)
Mar 15, 2014 Smokin' At The Run Miami, OK 63 / 72 (650.1600) 56 (167.3828) 64 (159.3944) 58 (164.5256) 65 (158.8572)
Mar 14, 2014 Smokin' At The Run Shootout Miami, OK 40 / 43 (624.4912) 14 (169.1428) 38 (154.2516) 42 (149.1428) 40 (151.9540)
Nov 1, 2013 Cookin' on the Creek BBQ Cookoff Harrison, AR 9 / 25 (678.2172) 11 (171.9772) 14 (164.5372) 16 (165.7028) 1 (176)
Oct 4, 2013 Biggest Buck and Best Rack Alma, AR 8 / 22 (666.2744) 3 (171.9772) 6 (169.7028) 19 (156) 8 (168.5944)
Aug 2, 2013 Laurie Hillbilly BBQ Laurie, MO 11 / 51 (667.9656) 21 (164.5372) 13 (168.5828) 5 (170.8800) 18 (163.9656)
Jun 20, 2013 Rock'n Freedom Seymour, MO 16 / 50 (672.5712) 28 (165.7142) 34 (163.4284) 16 (169.1430) 5 (174.2856)
May 17, 2013 Lake of the Ozarks Blues & BBQ Weekend Lake of the Ozarks, MO 8 / 41 (675.4282) 11 (170.2856) 16 (165.7142) 14 (168) 7 (171.4284)
May 3, 2013 Smokelawn Hot Springs, AR 20 / 41 (645.1424) 33 (156.5716) 11 (166.2854) 31 (154.8570) 13 (167.4284)
Apr 19, 2013 Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival Springfield, MO 11 / 68 (667.4284) 17 (167.4286) 56 (149.1428) 10 (171.4284) 1 (179.4286)

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

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