COUNTY LINE SMOKERS

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

Power ranking

#925

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1612

peak 1622 · rated over 18 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-04-26

latest 2018-09-15

Best ToY finish

#357

Master 2013

Grand champs

3 reserve

Category wins

11 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 20 contests

Avg finish

top 29%

overall standings

Best overall

696.5372 / 720

Master · Smokin' on the Summit BBQ

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

629.28 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 661.77 (-32.50)

Walk rate

60%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork · Smokin' on the Summit BBQ

Consistency

±42.26

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 170.44 · weakest Brisket (164.17)

Road miles

1,745

mi across 20 mapped stops · furthest 280 mi

Schedule strength

39%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1551)

Master avg

661.77 / 720

20 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (12 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.

The heartbreaker

3.4632 points from the title

Came within 3.4632 points of the Grand Championship at Rock'n Freedom (2014-06-20).

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.

Pork ×1

Against the odds

30-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 70 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (2014-05-02) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 30-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, THE SMOKING HILLS.

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championships here

Sam's Club National BBQ Tour is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 1st
average top 17%

They almost always walk

60% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 12 of 20 contests

A top-10 category call in 60% of their 20 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

696.5372 career-best overall

96.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 696.5372 at Smokin' on the Summit BBQ — 96.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
2016-06-03

A tough matchup

11–3 behind in the head-to-head

BURNT FINGER BBQ ahead in 79% of their meetings

BURNT FINGER BBQ has come out ahead in 11 of their 14 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.3 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.26 points below their pork, and turns into a call 15% of the time against 45%.

Brisket avg 164.17
Pork avg 170.44
3 calls in 20 entries

The drought

13 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour on 2014-05-02 — 13 contests and 12.3 years ago.

last GC 2014-05-02
12.3 years ago

A strong matchup

8–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 89% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of WOODBROTHERS BBQ in 8 of their 9 shared contests.

Always the bridesmaid

3 reserve championships

Runner-up for the whole thing 3 times against 1 Grand Championship — close enough to touch it, over and over.

1 Grand Championship
20 contests

A June team

Top 12% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 12% across 7 contests, versus top 29% the rest of the year.

7 June contests
top 29% the rest of the year

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.

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

Eggspert BBQ Minnesota

#924 of the rated field

1612 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1613

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to COUNTY LINE SMOKERS)

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

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2024-10-30

⚔ Head-to-head

A Good Rub BBQ

#928 of the rated field

1612 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1623

2–4 in 6 shared contests (33% to COUNTY LINE SMOKERS)

Careers of much the same size, 28 contests to 20, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 28 contests
last seen 2023-10-13

⚔ Head-to-head

Team Meat Coma

#920 of the rated field

1613 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 62
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1680

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to COUNTY LINE SMOKERS)

They've been 1680 at their best, 68 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 60 contests
last seen 2026-06-26

⚔ Head-to-head

QUAU

#927 of the rated field

1612 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 187
GCs: 17
Top-10s: 58%
Peak: 1808

0–8 in 8 shared contests (0% to COUNTY LINE SMOKERS)

Their rating is built on 17 Grand Championships in 187 contests, alongside a 58% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 180 contests
last seen 2021-09-16

⚔ Head-to-head

SOUTHERN QUE

#922 of the rated field

1613 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1615

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2018-05-04

⚔ Head-to-head

BBQ Hot Yard

#926 of the rated field

1612 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 72%
Peak: 1612

No shared contest yet.

5 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.

rated over 28 contests
last seen 2026-08-29

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SMOOTH SMOKE	14	7	7	50%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
BURNT FINGER BBQ	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
Theslabs.com	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare
DIRT ROAD BBQ	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
PELLET ENVY	12	3	9	25%	⚔ compare
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN O BBQ	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
Sons of a Brisket	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKING HILLS	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
50 SHADES OF QUE	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ	11	3	8	27%	⚔ compare
SLAPS BBQ	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
PITMASTERIQ BBQ	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
CAVEMAN CUISINE	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	20	8	3	5	177.7028	164.0000	170.04	top 29%
Pork Ribs	20	5	0	1	173.7144	154.8000	166.16	top 42%
Pork	20	9	3	4	180.0000 🔥	157.0628	170.44	top 27%
Brisket	20	3	0	1	176.0000	149.1088	164.17	top 45%

“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
MO	14	0	top 23%
KS	5	1	top 39%
OK	1	0	top 59%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	6	1	top 31%
Large (40+)	14	0	top 28%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Rock'n Freedom	3	2	0	top 15%	2015-06-19
Smokin' on the Summit	3	2	0	top 13%	2015-06-05
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	1	1	top 17%	2014-05-02

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

On the trail 5.4 yrs 2013-04-26 → 2018-09-15

Busiest season 2014 6 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 3.3 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MO 14 of 20 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 15 3 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 20 entries · 3 wins · 8 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 170.44 · weakest Brisket (164.17)

Walk rate 60% a top-10 call in 12 of 20 contests

Overall top-10 rate 45% 9 of 20 contests

Wins it all 5% 1 Grand Championship · 3 reserve

First title 2014-05-02 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

Best top-10 run 4 straight contests

Master average 661.77 out of 720 · 20 contests · 1 GC

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 1,746 2,548–1,503 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,745 20 mapped stops · furthest 280 mi

Schedule strength 1551 average field rating faced — tougher than 39% of rated contests

Longest layoff 1 yrs 2017-09-01 → 2018-09-15

Power rating 1612 peak 1622 · #925 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Apr 26 First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Apr 26 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Apr 26 First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Apr 26 First overall past 90% of a perfect score659.4282 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jun 7 First category win (Chicken) SMOKIN on the Summit
Jun 7 First overall podium SMOKIN on the Summit
Jun 7 First Reserve Championship SMOKIN on the Summit
2014
May 2 First Grand Championship Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Sep 19 10th tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)
2016
Jun 3 First perfect 180 (Pork) Smokin' on the Summit BBQ
Jun 3 Career-best overall score696.5372 Smokin' on the Summit BBQ
Oct 29 Peak power rating (1622) 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN)
2018
Sep 15 Most recent contest 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.4	SMOKIN on the Summit	2013-06-07
+15.2	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2014-05-02
+14.2	Rock'n Freedom	2014-06-20
+12.9	Blue Springs Barbeque Blaze-Off	2013-09-06
+12.3	Rock'n Freedom	2013-06-20

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6.1	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2018-09-15
-4.4	Table Rock and Ribs (GC receives Golden Ticket to the World Food Championship)	2015-05-22
-3.8	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2017-09-01
-0.2	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	2014-09-19

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	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	1	0	0	0	0%	top 64%	90.3%	90.3%
2017	1	0	0	0	0%	top 56%	91.2%	91.2%
2016	2	0	1	1	50%	top 21%	96.7%	94.4%
2015	4	0	1	1	50%	top 33%	94.7%	86.3%
2014	6	1	3	2	67%	top 31%	95.4%	93.4%
2013	6	0	4	2	83%	top 17%	95.3%	93.6%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2018-09-15	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	299 / 467 (650.0912)	265 (165.0856)	309 (162.2400)	373 (157.0628)	192 (165.7028)
2017-09-01	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	229 / 407 (656.4916)	234 (164.5600)	229 (163.9888)	154 (168.0000)	273 (159.9428)
2016-10-29	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) Kansas City, KS	218 / 557 (662.2284)	287 (164.0000)	450 (154.8344)	66 (173.1084)	106 (170.2856)
2016-06-03	Smokin' on the Summit BBQ Lee's Summit, MO	2 / 67 (696.5372)	10 (171.9656)	18 (168.5716)	1 (180.0000)	4 (176.0000)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	97 / 606 (481.0284)	234 (166.2744)	356 (161.7600)	81 (171.9772)	149 (168.5944)
2015-06-19	Rock'n Freedom Seymour, MO	9 / 36 (682.1828)	1 (177.7028)	19 (166.2744)	4 (175.4172)	20 (162.7884)
2015-06-05	Smokin' on the Summit Lee's Summit, MO	19 / 78 (659.8856)	31 (165.7028)	2 (173.7028)	55 (157.0972)	30 (163.3828)
2015-05-22	Table Rock and Ribs (GC receives Golden Ticket to the World Food Championship) Kimberling City, MO	17 / 26 (662.6856)	21 (166.2284)	17 (166.8344)	12 (167.9772)	18 (161.6456)
2014-10-02	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	208 / 552 (662.1600)	129 (170.2744)	451 (154.8000)	40 (174.8456)	272 (162.2400)
2014-10-02	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	113 / 165 (662.2172)	54 (171.4172)	111 (164.0228)	74 (168.5372)	145 (158.2400)
2014-09-19	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Midwest City, OK	17 / 29 (669.5772)	12 (173.1200)	4 (173.7144)	26 (163.9428)	23 (158.8000)
2014-06-20	Rock'n Freedom Seymour, MO	2 / 33 (686.7656)	1 (177.1428)	20 (163.9544)	5 (170.2628)	3 (175.4056)
2014-06-06	Smokin on the Summit Lee's Summit, MO	9 / 79 (670.7544)	3 (176.0000)	17 (169.1316)	36 (162.2400)	25 (163.3828)
2014-05-02	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Overland Park, KS	1 / 29 (683.3484)	10 (167.3712)	8 (167.4172)	1 (179.4400)	4 (169.1200)
2013-10-03	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	139 / 535 (655.3256)	119 (167.4284)	43 (171.4056)	125 (167.3828)	417 (149.1088)
2013-10-03	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	33 / 174 (674.2400)	50 (169.7028)	40 (169.7144)	6 (177.1544)	137 (157.6684)
2013-09-06	Blue Springs Barbeque Blaze-Off Blue Springs, MO	6 / 72 (686.2284)	14 (171.4056)	7 (173.1428)	1 (177.7028)	22 (163.9772)
2013-06-20	Rock'n Freedom Seymour, MO	7 / 50 (684.5710)	3 (174.8572)	35 (162.8570)	2 (177.7142)	19 (169.1426)
2013-06-07	SMOKIN on the Summit Lees Summit, MO	2 / 81 (682.8572)	1 (173.7142)	11 (169.1428)	6 (171.4288)	12 (168.5714)
2013-04-26	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Overland Park, KS	9 / 30 (659.4282)	8 (166.8570)	9 (165.7142)	6 (167.4284)	18 (159.4286)

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
2018 ↗	Master	#1954 (60 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1996 (60 pts)	#2030 (60 pts)	#1990 (60 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#2212 (60 pts)	#2286 (60 pts)	#2304 (60 pts)	#2260 (60 pts)	#2266 (60 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1011 (320 pts)	#1457 (195 pts)	#1692 (155 pts)	#1044 (345 pts)	#1187 (270 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#869 (386 pts)	#776 (476 pts)	#755 (501 pts)	#814 (446 pts)	#1073 (291 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#403 (941 pts)	#401 (931 pts)	#555 (701 pts)	#519 (741 pts)	#513 (726 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#357 (860 pts)	#337 (905 pts)	#540 (615 pts)	#286 (1010 pts)	#650 (500 pts)