303 BBQ

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

Power ranking

#1309

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1577

peak 1577 · rated over 32 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-04-25

latest 2023-06-16

Best ToY finish

#265

Master 2015

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

13 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 33 contests

Avg finish

top 48%

overall standings

Best overall

680.6284 / 720

Master · Smokin' Brew BBQ

Perfect 180s

Current form

636.48 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 649.03 (-12.54)

Walk rate

67%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

178.2972

Brisket · Bootleggin' BBQ

Consistency

±36.43

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 164.91 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.24)

Road miles

5,009

mi across 33 mapped stops · furthest 575 mi

Schedule strength

42%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1555)

Purse competed for

$29K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 3 state-championship entries

Master avg

649.03 / 720

33 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (13 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.

Against the odds

20-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 80 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Leadville BBQ and Brew Festival (2015-06-26) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 20-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, WHISKEY PIT BBQ COMPANY.

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championships here

Leadville BBQ and Brew Festival is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 1st
average top 9%

They almost always walk

67% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 22 of 33 contests

A top-10 category call in 67% of their 33 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

680.6284 career-best overall

94.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 680.6284 at Smokin' Brew BBQ — 94.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
2014-08-30

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS has finished one call ahead of 303 BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

25–5 behind in the head-to-head

Backdraft BBQ ahead in 83% of their meetings

Backdraft BBQ has come out ahead in 25 of their 30 shared contests.

The drought

19 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Leadville BBQ and Brew Festival on 2015-06-26 — 19 contests and 11.2 years ago.

last GC 2015-06-26
11.2 years ago

A strong matchup

18–5 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 78% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Lost Weekend Grill in 18 of their 23 shared contests.

The comeback

3 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3 years, then back at Frisco BBQ Challenge (2022-06-16).

last seen 2019-06-14
back 2022-06-16

Chicken nemesis

25 of 30 shared chicken entries lost

Backdraft BBQ ahead 83% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Backdraft BBQ has out-cooked them in 25 of 30 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

BURNIN BOBS BUTTS N BONES has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A June team

Top 33% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 33% across 11 contests, versus top 48% the rest of the year.

11 June contests
top 48% the rest of the year

The long haul

5,009 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,009 miles across 33 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 575 miles to 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational.

33 mapped stops
furthest 575 mi

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.

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

MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO.

#1310 of the rated field

1577 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1632

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1632 at their best, 55 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 29 contests
last seen 2018-07-20

⚔ Head-to-head

SOUTHERN SMOKERS

#1317 of the rated field

1577 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1636

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 4 years before 303 BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 28 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

LION 'BOUT THE Q

#1312 of the rated field

1577 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 36%
Peak: 1583

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 25 contests to 33, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 25 contests
last seen 2019-06-21

⚔ Head-to-head

BAMBQ

#1311 of the rated field

1577 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1588

No shared contest yet.

41 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 15% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 41 contests
last seen 2023-07-28

⚔ Head-to-head

Blowing Smoke BBQ

#1307 of the rated field

1578 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1587

No shared contest yet.

Level with 303 BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 24 contests
last seen 2026-05-15

⚔ Head-to-head

Slayton's Barbeque Company

#1316 of the rated field

1577 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 49
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1615

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2014.

rated over 49 contests
last seen 2025-07-25

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Backdraft BBQ	30	5	25	17%	⚔ compare
Lost Weekend Grill	23	18	5	78%	⚔ compare
BURNIN BOBS BUTTS N BONES	21	6	15	29%	⚔ compare
GRILLIN' BEAVERS	18	7	11	39%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN TIMBERS BBQ	17	11	6	65%	⚔ compare
BRACKEN RACKS BBQ	16	11	5	69%	⚔ compare
THE CELTIC PIG	16	6	10	38%	⚔ compare
STARS AND STRIPES BBQ	16	5	11	31%	⚔ compare
BURNTOUT BBQ CO	16	4	12	25%	⚔ compare
WILD HOGS BBQ	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
ROCKET BOYS PYRO BBQ	14	4	10	29%	⚔ compare
3 LIL' MACS BBQ	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
SHB Customs	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare
PORKY'S PIT CREW	13	6	7	46%	⚔ compare
CRAZY COYOTE	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	33	9	1	4	177.1428	127.3484	164.91	top 49%
Pork Ribs	33	10	0	2	173.7260	138.2168	162.24	top 50%
Pork	32	10	0	4	177.7144	145.1316	164.41	top 47%
Brisket	33	12	2	3	178.2972	135.3600	162.44	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
CO	28	1	top 47%
MO	2	0	top 58%
UT	1	0	top 45%
OK	1	0	top 22%
NE	1	0	top 96%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	0	top 47%
Medium (20–39)	18	1	top 54%
Large (40+)	14	0	top 41%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Leadville BBQ and Brew Festival	2	1	1	top 9%	2016-06-24
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	10	0	top 40%	2016-04-15
Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge	2	6	0	top 34%	2015-08-14
Wild West BBQ	2	23	0	top 94%	2015-05-08

The story so far (20 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 9.1 yrs 2014-04-25 → 2023-06-16

Busiest season 2015 13 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 4.1 across 8 seasons in the data

Cooks most in CO 28 of 33 contests · 5 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 29 4 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 33 entries · 1 win · 9 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 164.91 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.24)

Walk rate 67% a top-10 call in 22 of 33 contests

Overall top-10 rate 24% 8 of 33 contests

Wins it all 3% 1 Grand Championship · 0 reserve

First title 2015-06-26 Leadville BBQ and Brew Festival

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 649.03 out of 720 · 33 contests · 1 GC

Opponents faced 1,046 935–1,032 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 5,009 33 mapped stops · furthest 575 mi

Schedule strength 1555 average field rating faced — tougher than 42% of rated contests

Purse competed for $28,800 listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 3 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 3 yrs 2019-06-14 → 2022-06-16

Power rating 1577 peak 1577 · #1309 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
Apr 25 First tracked contest Pony Express BBQ Challenge
Aug 15 First call Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge
Aug 22 First category win (Brisket) Bootleggin' BBQ
Aug 22 First overall top-10 Bootleggin' BBQ
Aug 22 First overall past 90% of a perfect score676.5144 Bootleggin' BBQ
Aug 22 Career-best single call (Brisket)178.2972 Bootleggin' BBQ
Aug 30 Career-best overall score680.6284 Smokin' Brew BBQ
2015
May 1 10th tracked contest Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival
Jun 26 First overall podium Leadville BBQ and Brew Festival
Jun 26 First Grand Championship Leadville BBQ and Brew Festival
2017
Jun 16 25th tracked contest 24th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge
2023
Jun 16 Peak power rating (1577) Colorado BBQ Challenge
Jun 16 Most recent contest Colorado BBQ Challenge

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.1	Leadville BBQ and Brew Festival	2015-06-26
+15.5	Smokin' Brew BBQ	2014-08-30
+11.2	Leadville BBQ and Brew Festival	2016-06-24
+11.1	Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival	2015-05-01
+10.9	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge	2015-08-14

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-16.7	BBBrew For Hope	2018-07-27
-13.9	Pony Express BBQ Challenge	2014-04-25
-13.5	Wild West BBQ	2014-05-09
-12.7	Royal Gorge Holy Smoke BBQ Showdown	2014-05-30
-9.6	Wild West BBQ	2015-05-08

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)
2023	1	0	0	0	100%	top 26%	93.7%	93.7%
2022	1	0	0	0	100%	top 38%	93.1%	93.1%
2019	1	0	0	0	0%	top 44%	91.8%	91.8%
2018	5	0	1	1	80%	top 52%	93.3%	87.8%
2017	2	0	0	0	100%	top 45%	92%	90.9%
2016	3	0	1	0	100%	top 33%	93.5%	92%
2015	13	1	4	1	62%	top 43%	94%	91.6%
2014	7	0	2	1	43%	top 68%	94.5%	86.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2023-06-16	Colorado BBQ Challenge 🏅 Frisco, CO	11 / 42 (674.7316)	10 (173.7028)	9 (171.9772)	32 (158.2172)	11 (170.8344)
2022-06-16	Frisco BBQ Challenge 🏅 Frisco, CO	14 / 37 (670.1140)	25 (166.2284)	15 (167.3828)	17 (167.9772)	10 (168.5256)
2019-06-14	26th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge 🏅 Frisco, CO	24 / 55 (661.0400)	33 (163.4056)	14 (167.9772)	30 (161.6916)	17 (167.9656)
2018-08-03	San Luis Valley Beat the Heat BBQ Alamosa, CO	15 / 41 (671.4632)	10 (174.8456)	10 (171.4516)	18 (167.4516)	31 (157.7144)
2018-07-27	BBBrew For Hope Fort Collins, CO	35 / 35 (505.0740)	23 (163.3828)	3 (173.1428)	—	8 (168.5484)
2018-06-22	2018 Leadville BBQ and Brew Fest Leadville, CO	14 / 31 (660.4916)	12 (164.5600)	8 (165.1200)	16 (161.6916)	6 (169.1200)
2018-06-15	25th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge Frisco, CO	27 / 62 (653.0168)	23 (165.7028)	26 (162.8228)	16 (167.9772)	33 (156.5140)
2018-06-08	Buskers, Brews & BBQ Aurora, CO	10 / 31 (669.6684)	20 (161.6684)	9 (170.2744)	13 (166.8572)	1 (170.8684)
2017-06-16	24th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge Frisco, CO	27 / 59 (647.2572)	34 (161.6572)	36 (158.2400)	9 (173.1200)	36 (154.2400)
2017-04-07	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT	13 / 29 (662.2168)	9 (169.1312)	16 (163.4400)	19 (165.1200)	16 (164.5256)
2016-06-24	Leadville BBQ and Brew Festival Leadville, CO	5 / 33 (673.0744)	16 (166.8572)	12 (165.0972)	2 (174.2972)	10 (166.8228)
2016-06-17	23rd Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge Frisco, CO	21 / 58 (662.8344)	10 (172.0000)	25 (165.1088)	36 (161.7256)	24 (164.0000)
2016-04-15	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Fort Collins, CO	13 / 28 (651.4172)	23 (155.9656)	18 (157.6916)	7 (169.1428)	5 (168.6172)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	277 / 606 (654.8228)	465 (157.1428)	197 (167.9656)	276 (164.5944)	236 (165.1200)
2015-10-02	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	133 / 187 (665.6800)	105 (168.5600)	174 (157.0972)	101 (168.0000)	53 (172.0228)
2015-09-05	Smokin' Brew BBQ Parker, CO	17 / 49 (665.6456)	1 (176.5828)	27 (161.0972)	27 (161.1544)	19 (166.8112)
2015-08-14	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge Conifer, CO	6 / 31 (671.3716)	2 (173.7028)	3 (173.7260)	25 (153.6800)	5 (170.2628)
2015-07-31	SLV Beat the Heat - Barbeque, Brews and Chili Alamosa, CO	11 / 29 (671.3140)	16 (167.4056)	8 (169.6800)	6 (171.9884)	16 (162.2400)
2015-07-24	Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer & BBQ Fest Arvada, CO	7 / 26 (670.7888)	14 (167.9772)	10 (165.1316)	12 (168.5484)	9 (169.1316)
2015-06-26	Leadville BBQ and Brew Festival Leadville, CO	1 / 27 (677.0744)	3 (172.0000)	9 (161.1200)	2 (176.5600)	3 (167.3944)
2015-06-19	22nd Colorado BBQ Challenge Frisco, CO	21 / 58 (654.7776)	4 (174.2628)	21 (165.6916)	44 (152.5716)	23 (162.2516)
2015-05-30	Rock'N Western Rendezvous Loveland, CO	28 / 38 (644.4920)	19 (166.8688)	30 (154.8572)	12 (169.1200)	33 (153.6460)
2015-05-08	Wild West BBQ Lamar, CO	23 / 26 (624.5144)	14 (166.2972)	11 (164.5484)	25 (145.1316)	22 (148.5372)
2015-05-01	Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival Bixby, OK	18 / 81 (673.6572)	2 (177.1428)	55 (155.3944)	2 (177.7144)	30 (163.4056)
2015-04-17	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Fort Collins, CO	10 / 30 (655.9772)	12 (165.1084)	9 (165.1544)	7 (167.4516)	18 (158.2628)
2015-01-09	National Western BBQ Throwdown Denver, CO	28 / 40 (643.8400)	15 (169.6800)	34 (154.8344)	30 (158.8000)	25 (160.5256)
2014-08-30	Smokin' Brew BBQ Parker, CO	6 / 48 (680.6284)	17 (169.1312)	13 (166.8456)	3 (174.9144)	8 (169.7372)
2014-08-22	Bootleggin' BBQ Garden City, CO	8 / 17 (676.5144)	12 (167.4172)	14 (162.8000)	10 (168.0000)	1 (178.2972)
2014-08-15	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge Conifer, CO	21 / 43 (640.5604)	38 (150.8344)	33 (152.5488)	7 (169.1428)	9 (168.0344)
2014-08-01	The SLV Beat the Heat BBQ, Brews and Chili Competition Alamosa, CO	23 / 31 (634.7320)	17 (166.8344)	23 (153.6576)	12 (165.6684)	28 (148.5716)
2014-05-30	Royal Gorge Holy Smoke BBQ Showdown Canon City, CO	34 / 34 (586.6740)	32 (145.6912)	28 (155.3828)	33 (150.2400)	34 (135.3600)
2014-05-09	Wild West BBQ Lamar, CO	29 / 29 (565.4740)	29 (127.3484)	25 (148.5600)	26 (147.3484)	26 (142.2172)
2014-04-25	Pony Express BBQ Challenge Gothenburg, NE	27 / 28 (596.9136)	25 (153.0856)	28 (138.2168)	21 (155.3712)	25 (150.2400)

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
2023 ↗	Master	#908 (130 pts)	#971 (135 pts)	#1025 (145 pts)	#1287 (60 pts)	#959 (130 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#1065 (115 pts)	#1341 (60 pts)	#1207 (110 pts)	#1187 (100 pts)	#969 (135 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1920 (65 pts)	#2049 (60 pts)	#1697 (115 pts)	#2029 (60 pts)	#1745 (100 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#710 (472 pts)	#737 (477 pts)	#518 (722 pts)	#821 (417 pts)	#507 (727 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1483 (174 pts)	#1423 (199 pts)	#1629 (159 pts)	#1325 (229 pts)	#1611 (159 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#907 (376 pts)	#1119 (301 pts)	#1205 (271 pts)	#824 (476 pts)	#934 (376 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#265 (1254 pts)	#97 (1779 pts)	#297 (1164 pts)	#223 (1322 pts)	#324 (1079 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#733 (479 pts)	#934 (384 pts)	#972 (364 pts)	#593 (659 pts)	#571 (644 pts)