MUD'S BBQ

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

Power ranking

#723

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1637

peak 1642 · rated over 26 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-24

latest 2022-08-26

Best ToY finish

#346

Master 2014

Grand champs

4 reserve

Category wins

13 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 29 contests

Avg finish

top 31%

overall standings

Best overall

695.9888 / 720

Master · Windy City BBQ Classic

Perfect 180s

Current form

658.66 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 663.10 (-4.44)

Walk rate

76%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

178.8572

Pork · 10th Annual Deaths Door Barbeque

Consistency

±13.05

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 166.43 · weakest Brisket (164.54)

Road miles

2,670

mi across 27 mapped stops · furthest 380 mi

Schedule strength

40%

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

Purse competed for

$13K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

663.10 / 720

27 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (17 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

1.1428 points from the title

Came within 1.1428 points of the Grand Championship at Honor-Q Competitor's Series ().

Against the odds

12-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 88 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Red, White and BBQ (Day 1) (2015-05-22) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 12-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ.

Giant slayer

41 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 41-team field at Red, White and BBQ (Day 1).

2015-05-22

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championships here

Red, White and BBQ (Day 2) is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 4 visits.

4 visits
best finish 1st
average top 18%

They almost always walk

76% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 22 of 29 contests

A top-10 category call in 76% of their 29 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

695.9888 career-best overall

96.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 695.9888 at Windy City BBQ Classic — 96.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
2015-09-11

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

SMOKY LINCS has finished one call ahead of MUD'S BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 1 Grand Championship

2015 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 18%.

6 contests
3 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 18%

A tough matchup

16–6 behind in the head-to-head

THE SMOKE HUNTERS ahead in 73% of their meetings

THE SMOKE HUNTERS has come out ahead in 16 of their 22 shared contests.

The drought

15 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Red, White and BBQ (Day 1) on 2015-05-22 — 15 contests and 11.3 years ago.

last GC 2015-05-22
11.3 years ago

A strong matchup

14–4 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 78% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of RACK MASTERS BBQ in 14 of their 18 shared contests.

The comeback

5 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 5 years, then back at 10th Annual Deaths Door Barbeque (2022-08-26).

last seen 2017-08-25
back 2022-08-26

Announced themselves early

2nd at their very first contest

Finished 2 of 9 at their very first tracked contest, Honor-Q Competitor's Series ().

9-team field

Always the bridesmaid

4 reserve championships

Runner-up for the whole thing 4 times against 1 Grand Championship — close enough to touch it, over and over.

1 Grand Championship
29 contests

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

T-BAUM BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The metronome

±1.81% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.81% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 92.1% of a perfect score
29 contests

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked Grill Games every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 2nd

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.

Freeman Brothers BBQ

#722 of the rated field

1637 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 57
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 26%
Peak: 1662

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to MUD'S BBQ)

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

rated over 56 contests
last seen 2024-07-19

⚔ Head-to-head

SUNDANCER BBQ

#728 of the rated field

1637 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 59%
Peak: 1637

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 22 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 22 contests
last seen 2016-10-07

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN E'S BBQ

#724 of the rated field

1637 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 45%
Peak: 1637

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 33 contests to 29, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 31 contests
last seen 2026-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

C4-Que

#727 of the rated field

1637 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 59%
Peak: 1637

No shared contest yet.

17 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 59% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2024-10-25

⚔ Head-to-head

JL Smokers

#726 of the rated field

1637 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 57
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1637

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 6 years after MUD'S BBQ did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 55 contests
last seen 2026-08-07

⚔ Head-to-head

All About the Wood

#720 of the rated field

1638 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 59
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 56%
Peak: 1645

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 57 contests
last seen 2026-07-25

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
THE SMOKE HUNTERS	22	6	16	27%	⚔ compare
CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE	20	9	11	45%	⚔ compare
RACK MASTERS BBQ	18	14	4	78%	⚔ compare
DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA	16	14	2	88%	⚔ compare
CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM	15	5	10	33%	⚔ compare
QUAU	15	4	11	27%	⚔ compare
Its 5 Oclock Somewhere	14	9	5	64%	⚔ compare
TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
KEN'S BURNT ENDS	12	12	0	100%	⚔ compare
T-BAUM BBQ	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
JH OLD SCHOOL	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
Mac Attack BBQ	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	28	7	0	0	176.5716	156.5716	166.39	top 41%
Pork Ribs	29	15	3	9	178.3200	151.3944	166.43	top 33%
Pork	27	6	1	3	178.8572	154.8000	165.63	top 39%
Brisket	27	9	1	1	175.4400	151.9428	164.54	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
IL	17	1	top 30%
WI	7	0	top 24%
IN	3	0	top 52%
MO	2	0	top 30%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	0	top 22%
Medium (20–39)	11	0	top 41%
Large (40+)	17	1	top 25%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Grill Games	5	2	0	top 21%	2017-08-25
Red, White and BBQ (Day 2)	4	1	1	top 18%	2015-05-23
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	14	0	top 51%	2017-07-14
*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2)	2	12	0	top 41%	2017-05-27
Red, White & BBQ (Day 2)	2	20	0	top 46%	2016-05-28

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

On the trail 9.3 yrs 2013-05-24 → 2022-08-26

Busiest season 2015 6 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 4.1 across 7 seasons in the data

Cooks most in IL 17 of 29 contests · 4 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 19 5 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 29 entries · 3 wins · 15 calls

Strongest meat Pork Ribs averages 166.43 · weakest Brisket (164.54)

Walk rate 76% a top-10 call in 22 of 29 contests

Overall top-10 rate 38% 11 of 29 contests

Wins it all 3% 1 Grand Championship · 4 reserve

First title 2015-05-22 Red, White and BBQ (Day 1)

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 663.10 out of 720 · 27 contests · 1 GC

Opponents faced 1,013 1,381–521 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2,670 27 mapped stops · furthest 380 mi

Schedule strength 1552 average field rating faced — tougher than 40% of rated contests

Purse competed for $13,000 listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 5 yrs 2017-08-25 → 2022-08-26

Power rating 1637 peak 1642 · #723 of 6,413 rated

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

First tracked contest Honor-Q Competitor's Series
First call Honor-Q Competitor's Series
First category win (Pork Ribs) Honor-Q Competitor's Series
First overall top-10 Honor-Q Competitor's Series
First overall podium Honor-Q Competitor's Series
First Reserve Championship Honor-Q Competitor's Series
2013
May 24 First overall past 90% of a perfect score663.4282 Westmont Red, White & BBQ
2014
Jun 13 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Prairie
2015
May 22 First Grand Championship Red, White and BBQ (Day 1)
May 22 Biggest field won (41 teams) Red, White and BBQ (Day 1)
Sep 11 Career-best overall score695.9888 Windy City BBQ Classic
2017
May 26 25th tracked contest *RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1)
May 27 Peak power rating (1642) *RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2)
2022
Aug 26 Career-best single call (Pork)178.8572 10th Annual Deaths Door Barbeque
Aug 26 Most recent contest 10th Annual Deaths Door Barbeque

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.3	Red, White, and BBQ	2014-05-23
+16	Red, White and BBQ (Day 1)	2015-05-22
+12.1	Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest	2014-07-11
+11.5	Grill Games	2015-08-28
+11.5	Windy City BBQ Classic	2015-09-11

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6	Grill Games	2017-08-25
-2.9	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2017-07-14
-2.6	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1)	2017-05-26
-2.3	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown	2016-06-24
-1.5	Marshall County	2013-09-20

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)
—	2	0	1	1	50%	top 39%	—	—
2022	1	0	1	1	100%	top 35%	93%	93%
2017	4	0	0	0	100%	top 47%	93.5%	91.1%
2016	5	0	1	2	60%	top 41%	92.3%	91.6%
2015	6	1	3	0	50%	top 18%	96.7%	94.1%
2014	6	0	3	1	100%	top 21%	93.5%	92.6%
2013	5	0	2	0	80%	top 33%	92.1%	90.3%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2022-08-26	10th Annual Deaths Door Barbeque 🏅 Washington Island, WI	9 / 26 (669.5772)	24 (159.9428)	13 (165.6800)	1 (178.8572)	10 (165.0972)
2017-08-25	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	21 / 39 (641.0864)	17 (162.2860)	33 (153.0972)	26 (156.5260)	4 (169.1772)
2017-07-14	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour South Bend, IN	14 / 27 (660.0000)	20 (163.9884)	18 (163.4288)	12 (166.3200)	9 (166.2628)
2017-05-27	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2) Westmont, IL	12 / 59 (673.0284)	34 (162.2400)	3 (174.8572)	7 (171.4172)	20 (164.5140)
2017-05-26	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1) Westmont, IL	25 / 40 (649.6004)	20 (165.1316)	8 (166.8460)	16 (165.6800)	34 (151.9428)
2016-08-26	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	6 / 37 (664.4912)	11 (167.3828)	2 (173.7144)	7 (167.4056)	19 (155.9884)
2016-07-15	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour South Bend, IN	14 / 28 (658.7888)	25 (156.5716)	10 (166.2516)	21 (160.5256)	1 (175.4400)
2016-06-24	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL	16 / 33 (651.2568)	13 (166.8228)	23 (153.0628)	14 (165.1200)	11 (166.2512)
2016-05-28	Red, White & BBQ (Day 2) Westmont, IL	24 / 55 (663.9544)	30 (166.2400)	1 (178.3200)	21 (167.4172)	51 (151.9772)
2016-05-27	Red, White & BBQ (Day 1) Westmont, IL	20 / 42 (657.6804)	32 (159.9544)	16 (165.7144)	18 (166.3088)	13 (165.7028)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	63 / 606 (679.4284)	327 (163.3828)	116 (170.3084)	33 (174.8572)	97 (170.8800)
2015-10-02	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	94 / 187 (674.3088)	90 (169.7372)	139 (163.4172)	85 (169.1428)	54 (172.0116)
2015-09-11	Windy City BBQ Classic Chicago, IL	2 / 61 (695.9888)	4 (176.5716)	6 (175.4400)	5 (173.7144)	9 (170.2628)
2015-08-28	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	2 / 49 (673.1316)	7 (170.2972)	19 (162.8344)	2 (176.0000)	13 (164.0000)
2015-05-23	Red, White and BBQ (Day 2) Westmont, IL	22 / 58 (662.1256)	32 (165.0972)	11 (168.5600)	31 (165.0856)	26 (163.3828)
2015-05-22	Red, White and BBQ (Day 1) Westmont, IL	1 / 41 (681.6800)	14 (167.4056)	3 (172.5716)	3 (171.4056)	8 (170.2972)
2014-08-22	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	5 / 47 (673.0400)	9 (169.6800)	6 (170.8572)	19 (163.3828)	11 (169.1200)
2014-07-25	Morton BBQ Throwdown Morton, IL	13 / 48 (659.9428)	18 (166.8228)	3 (171.4172)	30 (158.8228)	12 (162.8800)
2014-07-11	Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest St. Charles, IL	3 / 34 (668.5944)	4 (170.8228)	1 (172.0000)	20 (162.3088)	12 (163.4628)
2014-06-13	Smoke on the Prairie Brimfield, IL	13 / 28 (659.3600)	13 (169.1316)	21 (153.7372)	11 (165.6800)	5 (170.8112)
2014-05-24	Red, White, And BBQ Westmont, IL	19 / 72 (668.5260)	16 (170.8688)	2 (177.7372)	28 (164.5256)	50 (155.3944)
2014-05-23	Red, White, and BBQ Westmont, IL	2 / 43 (669.0400)	15 (165.6684)	3 (173.1544)	14 (163.9772)	14 (166.2400)
2013-10-18	8th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q (TEAMS FULL) Libertyville, IL	19 / 54 (635.3828)	14 (163.9772)	39 (151.3944)	12 (161.1084)	16 (158.9028)
2013-09-20	Marshall County Plymouth, IN	15 / 27 (642.7772)	5 (169.7144)	23 (154.2172)	14 (162.2628)	16 (156.5828)
2013-08-23	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	9 / 43 (660.5604)	4 (170.8916)	4 (169.7260)	28 (154.8000)	9 (165.1428)
2013-07-05	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Madison, WI	8 / 30 (646.8568)	17 (160.0000)	7 (164.5714)	23 (155.9998)	4 (166.2856)
2013-05-24	Westmont Red, White & BBQ Westmont, IL	17 / 70 (663.4282)	6 (173.1428)	25 (162.2856)	31 (163.4284)	22 (164.5714)
	Saluting With Smoke (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Yorkville, IL	21 / 38 (485.5656)	13 (165.0856)	29 (154.7772)	—	—
	Honor-Q Competitor's Series unrated Plainfield, IL	2 / 9 (344.5372)	—	1 (176.5716)	—	—

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
2017 ↗	Master	#937 (372 pts)	#1090 (322 pts)	#747 (537 pts)	#875 (447 pts)	#791 (492 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#707 (536 pts)	#883 (421 pts)	#477 (846 pts)	#749 (526 pts)	#596 (676 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#373 (1000 pts)	#583 (670 pts)	#524 (750 pts)	#446 (860 pts)	#625 (600 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#346 (1050 pts)	#467 (825 pts)	#243 (1310 pts)	#658 (580 pts)	#480 (780 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#495 (625 pts)	#383 (810 pts)	#562 (590 pts)	#731 (455 pts)	#482 (665 pts)