TEAM AMERICA

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

Power ranking

#374

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1707

peak 1710 · rated over 36 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-08-23

latest 2018-06-29

Best ToY finish

#217

Master 2017

Grand champs

3 reserve

Category wins

31 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 39 contests

Avg finish

top 32%

overall standings

Best overall

701.1316 / 720

Master · *Traeger NorUt State Championship

Perfect 180s

2 🔥

Current form

581.77 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 663.44 (-81.67)

Walk rate

82%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Chicken · National Pro BBQ Tour Championship

Consistency

±83.64

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 170.49 · weakest Pork Ribs (168.57)

Road miles

18,653

mi across 39 mapped stops · furthest 1608 mi

Schedule strength

69%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1587)

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

663.44 / 720

38 Master contests · 2 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (18 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

0.5256 points from the title

Came within 0.5256 points of the Grand Championship at City of Show Low's 5th Annual BBQ Throwdown (2017-05-05).

Among the elite

#374 of 6,413 rated teams

In the top 6% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1707 puts them #374 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 6% of the field.

rating 1707
peak 1710
36 rated contests

Perfect scores on the board

2 perfect 180s

2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.

Chicken ×1
Brisket ×1

Against the odds

23-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 77 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (2017-04-07) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 23-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, LUCKY'S Q.

Giant slayer

30 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 30-team field at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.

2015-03-27

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championships here

Sam's Club National BBQ Tour is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 4 visits.

4 visits
best finish 1st
average top 10%

They almost always walk

82% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 32 of 39 contests

A top-10 category call in 82% of their 39 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

701.1316 career-best overall

97.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 701.1316 at *Traeger NorUt State Championship — 97.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
2018-06-29

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BBQ PIT STOP has finished one call ahead of TEAM AMERICA 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

15–2 behind in the head-to-head

BIG POPPA SMOKERS ahead in 88% of their meetings

BIG POPPA SMOKERS has come out ahead in 15 of their 17 shared contests.

The drought

10 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour on 2017-04-07 — 10 contests and 9.4 years ago.

last GC 2017-04-07
9.4 years ago

Always the bridesmaid

3 reserve championships

Runner-up for the whole thing 3 times against 2 Grand Championships — close enough to touch it, over and over.

2 Grand Championships
39 contests

A big fish in small ponds

Top 32% average finish in small fields

Field size changes the story: they average a top 32% finish in small fields against top 45% in large ones.

Small (<20 teams): top 32% (4)
Large (40+): top 45% (14)

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

HALF BAKED HIPPIES BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.

Boom or bust

±11.62% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±11.62% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 92.1% of a perfect score
best 97.4%

A June team

Top 17% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 17% across 3 contests, versus top 32% the rest of the year.

3 June contests
top 32% the rest of the year

The long haul

18,653 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 18,653 miles across 39 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,608 miles to Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY).

39 mapped stops
furthest 1,608 mi

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Sam's Club National BBQ Tour every year from 2014 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 1st

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.

BBQ WIESEL

#375 of the rated field

1706 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 46
GCs: 5
Top-10s: 59%
Peak: 1709

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to TEAM AMERICA)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team TEAM AMERICA has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 40 contests
last seen 2022-10-14

⚔ Head-to-head

50 SHADES OF QUE

#370 of the rated field

1707 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 46
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1714

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to TEAM AMERICA)

Careers of much the same size, 46 contests to 39, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 46 contests
last seen 2021-09-16

⚔ Head-to-head

THE CELTIC PIG

#371 of the rated field

1707 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 52
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 37%
Peak: 1723

1–2 in 3 shared contests (33% to TEAM AMERICA)

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 52 contests, alongside a 37% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 50 contests
last seen 2023-06-16

⚔ Head-to-head

MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ

#372 of the rated field

1707 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 71
GCs: 7
Top-10s: 52%
Peak: 1734

1–4 in 5 shared contests (20% to TEAM AMERICA)

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

rated over 63 contests
last seen 2025-08-29

⚔ Head-to-head

Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ

#373 of the rated field

1707 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 78
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 53%
Peak: 1714

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 72 contests
last seen 2026-08-21

⚔ Head-to-head

BURNTOUT BBQ CO

#376 of the rated field

1706 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 51
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1706

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to TEAM AMERICA)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 51 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 51 contests
last seen 2019-06-21

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Rhythm n QUE	22	10	12	45%	⚔ compare
GOT SMOKE BAR-B-QUE	20	11	9	55%	⚔ compare
Rooftop BBQ	17	5	12	29%	⚔ compare
BIG POPPA SMOKERS	17	2	15	12%	⚔ compare
G AND L BBQ	15	13	2	87%	⚔ compare
LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ	15	7	8	47%	⚔ compare
HALF BAKED HIPPIES BBQ	14	14	0	100%	⚔ compare
BIG JOHNSON'S BBQ	14	11	3	79%	⚔ compare
UTAH BBQ COMPANY	13	8	5	62%	⚔ compare
ZZYZX BAR.B.Q	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare
R&R BBQ	13	6	7	46%	⚔ compare
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
SQUAT AND GOBBLE BARBEQUE	12	11	1	92%	⚔ compare
CHICKEN BUTT BBQ UTAH	12	8	4	67%	⚔ compare
BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	37	15	1	4	180.0000 🔥	147.9428	168.70	top 44%
Pork Ribs	38	16	2	10	178.2972	156.5260	168.57	top 37%
Pork	39	22	1	11	178.8800	155.9656	170.49	top 33%
Brisket	38	21	2	6	180.0000 🔥	152.5372	169.18	top 34%

“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
NV	15	1	top 26%
UT	10	1	top 22%
AR	4	0	top 52%
ID	2	0	top 22%
KS	2	0	top 86%
AZ	2	0	top 28%
MO	2	0	top 30%
TN	1	0	top 55%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	4	0	top 32%
Medium (20–39)	20	2	top 22%
Large (40+)	14	0	top 45%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	4	1	1	top 10%	2017-04-07
Wild West BBQ Shoot Out	4	5	0	top 31%	2017-08-25
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	4	4	0	top 25%	2017-04-21
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship	3	10	0	top 58%	2016-09-30
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	1	1	top 22%	2016-03-25
38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2	93	0	top 86%	2017-09-01

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

On the trail 4.8 yrs 2013-08-23 → 2018-06-29

Busiest season 2015 12 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 6.5 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NV 16 of 39 contests · 8 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 25 6 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork 39 entries · 1 win · 22 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 170.49 · weakest Pork Ribs (168.57)

Walk rate 82% a top-10 call in 32 of 39 contests

Overall top-10 rate 62% 24 of 39 contests

Wins it all 5% 2 Grand Championships · 3 reserve

First title 2015-03-27 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

Best top-10 run 6 straight contests

Master average 663.44 out of 720 · 38 contests · 2 GCs

Perfect 180s 2 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 1,247 1,536–1,027 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 18,653 39 mapped stops · furthest 1,608 mi

Schedule strength 1587 average field rating faced — tougher than 69% of rated contests

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Power rating 1707 peak 1710 · #374 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Aug 23 First tracked contest Wild West BBQ Shoot Out
Sep 20 First call Utah BBQ Festival
Sep 20 First overall top-10 Utah BBQ Festival
2014
Apr 11 First overall past 90% of a perfect score660.5600 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Sep 5 First category win (Pork Ribs) The Great Vegas Gridiron Grill-Off
Sep 5 First overall podium The Great Vegas Gridiron Grill-Off
Nov 13 10th tracked contest World Food Championships - World Barbecue Championships (Competitiors Series)
2015
Mar 27 First Grand Championship Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 27 Biggest field won (30 teams) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Apr 10 First Reserve Championship Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
2016
Apr 22 25th tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)
2017
May 5 First perfect 180 (Brisket) City of Show Low's 5th Annual BBQ Throwdown
Aug 25 Peak power rating (1710) Wild West BBQ Shoot Out
2018
Jun 29 Career-best overall score701.1316 *Traeger NorUt State Championship
Jun 29 Most recent contest *Traeger NorUt State Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.3	The Great Vegas Gridiron Grill-Off	2014-09-05
+15.2	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2015-03-27
+15.1	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	2014-04-25
+14.2	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship	2015-10-09
+13.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2015-04-10

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-21	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2017-09-01
-5.3	Wild West BBQ Shoot Out	2013-08-23
-4.7	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship	2014-09-26
-4	Days of 47 BBQ Rib & Rodeo	2015-07-24
-3.8	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship	2016-09-30

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	1	0	100%	top 11%	97.4%	97.4%
2017	10	1	6	3	70%	top 36%	97.2%	88.1%
2016	6	0	4	1	100%	top 33%	95.6%	94.2%
2015	12	1	7	1	83%	top 26%	96.7%	93.9%
2014	8	0	5	1	88%	top 30%	96%	93.3%
2013	2	0	1	0	50%	top 57%	89.3%	88.6%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2018-06-29	*Traeger NorUt State Championship 🏅 Ogden, UT	2 / 19 (701.1316)	2 (179.4400)	2 (177.1544)	5 (175.4172)	9 (169.1200)
2017-10-27	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	52 / 95 (675.3368)	51 (169.7256)	70 (166.2400)	21 (174.2628)	64 (165.1084)
2017-10-06	National Pro BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR	16 / 50 (694.7656)	1 (180.0000)	34 (169.6800)	22 (174.2628)	28 (170.8228)
2017-09-15	*Rock'n Brews & BBQ Festival Boise, ID	8 / 28 (674.7544)	10 (170.2744)	15 (161.6916)	5 (173.1084)	11 (169.6800)
2017-09-01	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	403 / 407 (162.8800)	—	—	254 (162.8800)	—
2017-08-31	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS	93 / 129 (675.3140)	95 (167.3828)	37 (174.2628)	118 (162.2628)	56 (171.4056)
2017-08-25	Wild West BBQ Shoot Out West Wendover, NV	10 / 37 (691.3484)	4 (178.8572)	23 (166.2400)	8 (173.1428)	7 (173.1084)
2017-06-16	Q'n With Kia-Kia-Kia Ogden, UT	3 / 15 (682.7540)	4 (171.4056)	2 (174.8456)	5 (169.1200)	6 (167.3828)
2017-05-05	City of Show Low's 5th Annual BBQ Throwdown Show Low, AZ	2 / 36 (700.0116)	6 (175.4400)	2 (175.4516)	11 (169.1200)	1 (180.0000)
2017-04-21	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV	6 / 30 (695.3940)	5 (177.1428)	15 (170.8800)	20 (169.6684)	2 (177.7028)
2017-04-07	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT	1 / 29 (690.8228)	15 (167.4056)	1 (177.1544)	3 (173.7028)	4 (172.5600)
2016-09-30	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR	37 / 50 (682.7772)	43 (169.1084)	7 (176.0116)	45 (167.9656)	36 (169.6916)
2016-09-16	Rock'n Brews & BBQ Festival Nampa, ID	4 / 25 (688.5600)	5 (173.7256)	16 (163.9772)	3 (178.2972)	5 (172.5600)
2016-08-26	Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV	7 / 37 (682.2400)	27 (159.9428)	13 (167.4400)	2 (177.1428)	2 (177.7144)
2016-04-22	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV	9 / 30 (678.8000)	23 (165.6912)	28 (163.9772)	6 (172.5716)	1 (176.5600)
2016-04-08	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT	5 / 30 (674.1940)	8 (169.1428)	3 (170.8572)	5 (170.2628)	15 (163.9312)
2016-03-25	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Reno, NV	12 / 29 (665.0056)	17 (163.3828)	2 (171.9772)	25 (161.6800)	8 (167.9656)
2015-10-09	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR	10 / 50 (695.9656)	45 (167.9772)	13 (176.0000)	25 (173.1084)	6 (178.8800)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	28 / 606 (686.1944)	123 (170.8228)	273 (165.0972)	9 (178.2972)	80 (171.9772)
2015-10-02	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	103 / 187 (673.6224)	116 (167.4056)	46 (173.7028)	69 (170.2512)	149 (162.2628)
2015-08-28	Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV	6 / 49 (692.5372)	23 (169.1084)	17 (170.2744)	7 (174.2972)	2 (178.8572)
2015-07-24	Days of 47 BBQ Rib & Rodeo Salt Lake City, UT	9 / 17 (663.9312)	4 (174.2856)	9 (166.2628)	9 (167.4056)	13 (155.9772)
2015-06-19	YCC - Real Men Can Cook BBQ Comp Ogden, UT	5 / 23 (668.5260)	14 (163.4172)	3 (169.6916)	3 (169.7144)	7 (165.7028)
2015-05-22	Best Dam Barbecue Boulder City, NV	9 / 38 (675.3144)	29 (164.5372)	7 (169.6800)	9 (171.4172)	8 (169.6800)
2015-05-02	Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship Mesquite, NV	12 / 41 (673.6344)	6 (173.7372)	15 (165.1316)	16 (167.3828)	13 (167.3828)
2015-04-24	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV	11 / 30 (682.8344)	19 (168.5828)	26 (159.3716)	2 (178.8800)	6 (176.0000)
2015-04-10	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT	2 / 30 (674.7656)	18 (162.2628)	5 (167.3828)	1 (172.5600)	3 (172.5600)
2015-03-27	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Reno, NV	1 / 30 (677.7372)	2 (172.6172)	3 (170.8456)	5 (167.4516)	4 (166.8228)
2015-02-27	6th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & BBQ Championship Lake Havasu City, AZ	41 / 82 (651.9204)	25 (168.0000)	57 (156.5260)	14 (171.4056)	59 (155.9888)
2014-11-13	World Food Championships - World Barbecue Championships (Competitiors Series) Las Vegas, NV	—	—	33 (164.5484)	2 (177.2000)	9 (173.1084)
2014-10-30	USA Barbecue Championship Laughlin, NV	35 / 79 (669.0284)	77 (147.9428)	31 (169.1084)	2 (178.8572)	18 (173.1200)
2014-09-26	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR	40 / 50 (678.2172)	46 (166.2972)	12 (174.2628)	44 (163.3944)	20 (174.2628)
2014-09-05	The Great Vegas Gridiron Grill-Off Las Vegas, NV	3 / 42 (690.8572)	14 (172.0000)	1 (178.2972)	2 (176.5600)	29 (164.0000)
2014-08-22	Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV	5 / 31 (676.5144)	11 (167.9772)	3 (170.8344)	16 (164.5256)	4 (173.1772)
2014-07-24	Days of 47 BBQ Showdown Holladay, UT	10 / 31 (650.1600)	13 (164.5256)	9 (165.6916)	15 (161.1084)	16 (158.8344)
2014-04-25	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV	4 / 30 (675.9428)	9 (170.8572)	8 (169.1428)	17 (167.3828)	7 (168.5600)
2014-04-11	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Salt Lake City, UT	4 / 29 (660.5600)	6 (170.9028)	14 (159.4172)	3 (168.5600)	9 (161.6800)
2013-09-20	Utah BBQ Festival Coalville, UT	7 / 16 (642.7884)	3 (163.4284)	12 (158.2744)	3 (168.5484)	11 (152.5372)
2013-08-23	Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV	24 / 34 (633.5884)	20 (157.1200)	19 (158.2744)	26 (155.9656)	16 (162.2284)

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	#1076 (244 pts)	#1142 (244 pts)	#1163 (244 pts)	#1420 (169 pts)	#1548 (129 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#217 (1432 pts)	#222 (1332 pts)	#288 (1177 pts)	#313 (1132 pts)	#256 (1307 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#459 (864 pts)	#674 (604 pts)	#438 (919 pts)	#432 (949 pts)	#380 (1029 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#339 (1103 pts)	#507 (768 pts)	#383 (963 pts)	#270 (1188 pts)	#347 (1033 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#380 (982 pts)	#555 (707 pts)	#371 (997 pts)	#352 (1042 pts)	#479 (782 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1240 (210 pts)	#1028 (300 pts)	#1391 (195 pts)	#1102 (275 pts)	#1267 (215 pts)