THE LOONEY PIT

THE LOONEY PIT is a competition barbecue team with 12 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 28 at the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (2014), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion 3 times. They are ranked #1267 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,267

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1581

peak 1583 · rated over 12 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 12, 2013

latest Jul 27, 2018 · 5.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#247

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

3 reserve

Category wins

6 podiums

Overall top-10s

50% of 12 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 32%

overall standings

Best overall

694.8566 / 720

Master · Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cook-Off

Perfect 180s

Current form

672.81 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 678.23 (-5.42)

Walk rate

92%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Chicken · The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ

Consistency

±8.24

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 171.22 · weakest Pork (167.42)

Road miles

1,429

across 12 mapped stops · furthest 302 mi

Schedule strength

49%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1564)

Master avg

678.23 / 720

12 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (11 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

1.1426 points from the title

Came within 1.1426 points of the Grand Championship at The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ (May 3, 2013).

Signature meat

25% chicken entries won

3 wins from 12 entries

When chicken is on the table, watch out — they've won it in 25% of their entries (3 of 12).

best 178.8572
average 171.22
5 calls

They almost always walk

92% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 11 of 12 contests

A top-10 category call in 92% of their 12 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

694.8566 career-best overall

96.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 694.8566 at Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cook-Off — 96.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
May 17, 2013

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

NEW SOUTH BBQ has finished one call ahead of THE LOONEY PIT 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2013 their best year

2013 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 4 category wins, at an average finish in the top 16%.

6 contests
5 overall top-10s
4 category wins
average top 16%

A tough matchup

7–2 behind in the head-to-head

South Pork ahead in 78% of their meetings

South Pork has come out ahead in 7 of their 9 shared contests.

Show 4 more storylines

Chicken nemesis

6 of 10 shared chicken entries lost

Organizer Portal ahead 60% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Organizer Portal has out-cooked them in 6 of 10 shared chicken entries.

Always the bridesmaid

3 reserve championships

Runner-up for the whole thing 3 times against 0 Grand Championships — close enough to touch it, over and over.

0 Grand Championships
12 contests

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

SMOKE-N-ASHES has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The metronome

±1.14% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.14% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 94.2% of a perfect score
12 contests

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2015 ↗	Master	#2085 (70 pts)	#1742 (125 pts)	#2082 (80 pts)	#2225 (60 pts)	#2181 (65 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#998 (313 pts)	#1350 (223 pts)	#1084 (303 pts)	#1104 (298 pts)	#1018 (323 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#247 (1,212 pts)	#218 (1,222 pts)	#321 (937 pts)	#373 (832 pts)	#389 (807 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to THE LOONEY PIT, each with one reason worth a look.

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

BUSH LEAGUE BBQ

#1,268 of the rated field

1581 power rating

Contests: 53
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1659

1–2 in 3 shared contests (33% to THE LOONEY PIT)

These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — BUSH LEAGUE BBQ ahead 2–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 53 contests
last seen Feb 21, 2020

⚔ Head-to-head

RAILYARD BBQ

#1,257 of the rated field

1582 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1586

Careers of much the same size, 14 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Jun 5, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

FIRE AND SMOKE SHAK

#1,271 of the rated field

1581 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 67%
Peak: 1581

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Nov 16, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

WILD BLUE

#1,260 of the rated field

1582 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 53%
Peak: 1603

15 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 53% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Jul 16, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

SLICKS BAR-B-QUE

#1,261 of the rated field

1582 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1593

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

rated over 15 contests
last seen May 19, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

KAVE DWELLERS

#1,274 of the rated field

1581 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 44%
Peak: 1584

Level with THE LOONEY PIT on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 16 contests
last seen Aug 24, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Organizer Portal	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
JIGGY PIGGY	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
South Pork	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
SMOKE-N-ASHES	8	8	0	100%	⚔ compare
The Specialists	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
SWIGGIN PIG	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
BEAN BANDITS	6	6	0	100%	⚔ compare
BIG BLUE QUE	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare
SMOKE OF THE SHOALS	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BUTT CREW	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare
BUTTS, BELLIES & BUDDIES	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
Chokin "N" tha Smoke	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare
BUSH LEAGUE BBQ (inactive)	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare
HICKORY PRIME	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	12	5	3	3	178.8572	165.0856	171.22	top 39%
Pork Ribs	12	8	1	2	176.0002	164.5256	170.52	top 27%
Pork	12	5	0	0	173.7372	161.6800	167.42	top 42%
Brisket	12	5	0	1	175.4284	161.7142	169.08	top 38%

“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

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	8	0	top 37%
Large (40+)	4	0	top 20%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
AL	8	top 28%
MS	3	top 51%
KY	1	top 7%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-off	3	2	0	top 44%	Jul 27, 2018
Stand by Your Grill	2	13	0	top 36%	Aug 19, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 6 contests

Contests a season 2 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in AL 8 of 12 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 9 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 275 finished ahead 343 times, behind 117

Longest layoff 1 yrs Aug 14, 2015 → Aug 19, 2016

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

20181 milestone

Jul 27 Most recent contest Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-off

20162 milestones

Aug 19 10th tracked contest Stand by Your Grill
Aug 19 Peak power rating (1583) Stand by Your Grill

20139 milestones

Apr 12 First tracked contest Smoke on the Falls
Apr 12 First call Smoke on the Falls
Apr 12 First category win (Pork Ribs) Smoke on the Falls
Apr 12 First overall top-10 Smoke on the Falls
Apr 12 First overall past 90% of a perfect score675.4284 Smoke on the Falls
May 3 First overall podium The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ
May 3 First Reserve Championship The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ
May 3 Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8572 The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ
May 17 Career-best overall score694.8566 Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cook-Off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.3	The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	May 3, 2013
+14.3	Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cook-Off	May 17, 2013
+14.2	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Jun 20, 2014
+13.6	Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest	Sep 13, 2013
+10.8	Smoke on the Falls	Apr 12, 2013

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-7	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	Sep 5, 2014
-1.2	Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-off	Jul 28, 2017
-0.3	Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-off	Jul 27, 2018

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	1	0	0	100%	top 63%	92.8%	92.8%
2017	1	0	0	100%	top 63%	92.8%	92.8%
2016	1	0	0	100%	top 33%	93.7%	93.7%
2015	1	0	0	0%	top 40%	94%	94%
2014	2	1	0	100%	top 44%	94.6%	94.3%
2013	6	5	4	100%	top 16%	96.5%	94.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jul 27, 2018	Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-off Hartselle, AL	17 / 27 (667.9312)	16 (169.1200)	7 (172.5828)	19 (161.6800)	19 (164.5484)
Jul 28, 2017	Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-off Hartselle, AL	17 / 27 (667.9312)	16 (169.1200)	7 (172.5828)	19 (161.6800)	19 (164.5484)
Aug 19, 2016	Stand by Your Grill Fulton, MS	13 / 40 (674.7084)	31 (165.6684)	2 (174.2744)	26 (162.8000)	11 (171.9656)
Aug 14, 2015	Stand By Your Grill Fulton, MS	23 / 57 (677.0400)	12 (174.2628)	21 (169.6800)	40 (163.4056)	24 (169.6916)
Sep 5, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Southaven, MS	24 / 30 (676.4340)	25 (165.0856)	16 (169.1200)	8 (173.1200)	17 (169.1084)
Jun 20, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Lexington, KY	2 / 28 (681.1428)	6 (171.4056)	4 (170.8800)	8 (166.8572)	3 (172)
Oct 11, 2013	Cullman Oktoberfest BBQ Challenge Cullman, AL	13 / 32 (672.4340)	23 (165.6684)	22 (164.5256)	9 (169.1200)	9 (173.1200)
Sep 27, 2013	PorktoberQue Dothan, AL	5 / 29 (675.4284)	1 (174.8456)	7 (166.2972)	13 (166.2972)	7 (167.9884)
Sep 13, 2013	Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL	4 / 80 (681.7032)	1 (177.1544)	23 (165.6916)	5 (173.7372)	30 (165.1200)
May 17, 2013	Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cook-Off Hartselle, AL	2 / 27 (694.8566)	6 (174.2856)	5 (173.7142)	12 (171.4284)	5 (175.4284)
May 3, 2013	The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	2 / 62 (693.7144)	1 (178.8572)	9 (170.8572)	17 (170.2858)	8 (173.7142)
Apr 12, 2013	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	7 / 34 (675.4284)	15 (169.1428)	1 (176.0002)	9 (168.5712)	20 (161.7142)

THE LOONEY PIT

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (11 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Signature meat

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

Chicken nemesis

Always the bridesmaid

Looking over their shoulder

The metronome

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

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

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

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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

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

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