Prime BBQ

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

Power ranking

#2175

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1531

peak 1621 · rated over 33 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-04-11

latest 2026-06-26

Best ToY finish

#372

Master 2014

Grand champs

2 reserve

Category wins

19 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 34 contests

Avg finish

top 45%

overall standings

Best overall

692.5028 / 720

Master · Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

623.87 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 653.92 (-30.06)

Walk rate

59%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Brisket · Jiggy With the Piggy

Consistency

±24.80

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 164.61 · weakest Pork Ribs (161.79)

Road miles

15,003

mi across 34 mapped stops · furthest 887 mi

Schedule strength

37%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1549)

Purse competed for

$143K

listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 9 state-championship entries

Master avg

653.92 / 720

34 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (15 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

1.1656 points from the title

Came within 1.1656 points of the Grand Championship at Peak City Pigfest (2015-06-19).

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 brisket.

Brisket ×1

Happy hunting ground

Top 5% average finish here

Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge is their spot: an average finish in the top 5% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 3rd
average top 5%

Multi-meat days

2 contests with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 2 times — the best of them 2 category wins at Jiggy With the Piggy (2016-05-06).

Pork 1st
Brisket 1st

High-water mark

692.5028 career-best overall

96.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 692.5028 at Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge — 96.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
2015-05-08

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

SAUCED! BBQ TEAM has finished one call ahead of Prime BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 6%.

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

A tough matchup

12–2 behind in the head-to-head

THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA ahead in 86% of their meetings

THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA has come out ahead in 12 of their 14 shared contests.

A strong matchup

10–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The comeback

1.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.7 years, then back at The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship (2021-06-25).

last seen 2019-10-04
back 2021-06-25

Pork nemesis

8 of 8 shared pork entries lost

913 BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, 913 BBQ has out-cooked them in 8 of 8 shared pork entries.

Announced themselves early

5th at their very first contest

Finished 5 of 30 at their very first tracked contest, Jammin' Pig BBQ Musice Festival (2014-04-11).

2014-04-11
30-team field

A May team

Top 27% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 27% across 5 contests, versus top 45% the rest of the year.

5 May contests
top 45% the rest of the year

The long haul

15,003 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 15,003 miles across 34 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 887 miles to *Quebec City International BBQ & Music Festival.

34 mapped stops
furthest 887 mi

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship every year from 2023 to 2026 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 97th

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.

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

QUEOLOGY

#2160 of the rated field

1532 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1567

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Prime BBQ)

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

rated over 28 contests
last seen 2018-05-25

⚔ Head-to-head

WOOD N PIG SMOKERS

#2167 of the rated field

1532 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1538

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Prime BBQ)

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Prime BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 18 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

WILD WILLY'S SMOKIN HOT BBQ

#2181 of the rated field

1531 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 64
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1632

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Prime BBQ)

They've been 1632 at their best, 101 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 63 contests
last seen 2026-05-23

⚔ Head-to-head

Full Boar BBQ KC

#2184 of the rated field

1531 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1541

1–6 in 7 shared contests (14% to Prime BBQ)

Fewer contests behind them than Prime BBQ has cooked, 9 to 34, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2026-06-26

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin' Bulldogs

#2177 of the rated field

1531 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1570

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 30 contests, alongside a 30% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 30 contests
last seen 2019-09-07

⚔ Head-to-head

Rub Sweat and Beers

#2183 of the rated field

1531 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 55%
Peak: 1531

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 9 years after Prime BBQ did, first appearing in 2023.

rated over 20 contests
last seen 2026-08-01
on a 5-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	15	9	6	60%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA	14	2	12	14%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	14	2	12	14%	⚔ compare
PICKIN' PORKERS	12	8	4	67%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN SKULLIES	12	8	4	67%	⚔ compare
FatHeads bbq	12	8	4	67%	⚔ compare
SAUCED! BBQ TEAM	12	3	9	25%	⚔ compare
SMOKE THIS	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC	10	10	0	100%	⚔ compare
ROLLIN' SMOKE	10	8	2	80%	⚔ compare
FIRED UP SMOKERS	10	7	3	70%	⚔ compare
K & D SMOKERS	10	6	4	60%	⚔ compare
CAROLINA SMOKE	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare
Too Hot to Handle	8	8	0	100%	⚔ compare
THE NEKKED PIG BBQ TEAM	8	7	1	88%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	34	5	0	2	172.0228	147.9428	163.25	top 54%
Pork Ribs	34	10	1	4	176.5600	141.6572	161.79	top 53%
Pork	34	10	3	6	178.2972	146.2172	164.61	top 42%
Brisket	34	11	4	7	180.0000 🔥	133.6000	164.27	top 41%

“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	Avg finish
NC	16	top 27%
KS	8	top 69%
MA	3	top 58%
QC	2	top 50%
ON	1	top 60%
AR	1	top 96%
NY	1	top 46%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 67%
Medium (20–39)	11	top 44%
Large (40+)	22	top 45%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship	6	97	top 75%	2026-06-26
Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down	2	11	top 28%	2018-10-12
Jiggy With the Piggy	2	7	top 32%	2017-05-05
Peak City Pigfest	2	2	top 10%	2016-06-17
Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge	2	3	top 5%	2015-05-08

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

On the trail 12.2 yrs 2014-04-11 → 2026-06-26

Busiest season 2014 7 contests

Contests a season 2.8 across 12 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NC 16 of 34 contests · 7 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 25 5 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 34 entries · 0 wins · 5 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 164.61 · weakest Pork Ribs (161.79)

Walk rate 59% a top-10 call in 20 of 34 contests

Overall top-10 rate 32% 11 of 34 contests

Best top-10 run 7 straight contests

Master average 653.92 out of 720 · 34 contests · 0 GCs

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

Opponents faced 969 1,178–1,294 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 15,003 34 mapped stops · furthest 887 mi

Schedule strength 1549 average field rating faced — tougher than 37% of rated contests

Purse competed for $142,750 listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 9 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.7 yrs 2019-10-04 → 2021-06-25

Power rating 1531 peak 1621 · #2175 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
Apr 11 First tracked contest Jammin' Pig BBQ Musice Festival
Apr 11 First call Jammin' Pig BBQ Musice Festival
Apr 11 First category win (Pork) Jammin' Pig BBQ Musice Festival
Apr 11 First overall top-10 Jammin' Pig BBQ Musice Festival
Apr 11 First overall past 90% of a perfect score670.2172 Jammin' Pig BBQ Musice Festival
May 9 First multi-meat day Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge
2015
May 8 First overall podium Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge
May 8 Career-best overall score692.5028 Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge
Jun 19 First Reserve Championship Peak City Pigfest
Oct 9 10th tracked contest Eastern Carolina BBQ ThrowDown
2016
May 6 First perfect 180 (Brisket) Jiggy With the Piggy
2018
Oct 12 Peak power rating (1621) Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down
2019
Jun 15 25th tracked contest 514 BBQ
2026
Jun 26 Most recent contest The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.6	Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge	2014-05-09
+14.3	Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge	2015-05-08
+12.9	Jammin' Pig BBQ Musice Festival	2014-04-11
+12.7	Peak City Pigfest	2015-06-19
+12.5	Eastern Carolina BBQ ThrowDown	2015-10-09

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-15.2	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship	2021-06-25
-15	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship	2026-06-26
-10.6	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship	2024-06-21
-9.6	Quebec City International BBQ & Music Fest	2019-06-08
-9.2	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship	2025-06-27

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	0	0%	top 94%	81.6%	81.6%
2025	1	0	0	0%	top 74%	88.6%	88.6%
2024	1	0	0	0%	top 77%	87%	87%
2023	2	0	0	0%	top 64%	89.6%	88%
2022	1	0	0	0%	top 50%	90.4%	90.4%
2021	1	0	0	0%	top 87%	85.1%	85.1%
2019	6	1	1	67%	top 60%	91.5%	88.9%
2018	6	1	0	83%	top 43%	93.8%	90.6%
2017	3	0	0	67%	top 55%	93.6%	91.5%
2016	2	2	3	100%	top 12%	95.8%	95%
2015	3	3	1	100%	top 6%	96.2%	95.3%
2014	7	4	3	57%	top 29%	96.1%	93.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026-06-26	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS	148 / 157 (587.7944)	150 (147.9428)	112 (158.8688)	153 (147.3828)	150 (133.6000)
2025-06-27	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS	117 / 159 (638.1256)	143 (154.2400)	92 (163.4056)	153 (149.6456)	36 (170.8344)
2024-06-21	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS	133 / 172 (626.1492)	150 (153.1088)	108 (160.5372)	141 (155.4060)	112 (157.0972)
2023-08-04	La Classique BBQ Labonte Sainte-Perpetue, QC	23 / 33 (622.1480)	31 (150.2512)	19 (159.9884)	20 (156.5028)	22 (155.4056)
2023-06-23	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS	97 / 167 (645.1088)	100 (161.1316)	156 (146.2744)	38 (171.4056)	52 (166.2972)
2022-06-24	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS	82 / 164 (650.7772)	100 (161.1316)	75 (164.0000)	107 (161.1084)	59 (164.5372)
2021-06-25	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS	126 / 145 (612.4232)	114 (155.9772)	140 (141.6572)	72 (162.2400)	105 (152.5488)
2019-10-04	Riverside Blues, Brews & BBQ 🏅 Greenfield, MA	12 / 26 (658.8116)	13 (165.7144)	19 (161.0972)	22 (156.5372)	1 (175.4628)
2019-06-21	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS	110 / 183 (635.9656)	98 (160.0228)	148 (150.8572)	132 (157.0856)	36 (168.0000)
2019-06-15	514 BBQ Saint-LÃ©onard, QC	7 / 23 (650.2856)	6 (167.4056)	16 (152.0456)	16 (159.3828)	2 (171.4516)
2019-06-08	Quebec City International BBQ & Music Fest Quebec, G1G 4C7	16 / 24 (611.3596)	2 (170.2856)	19 (148.5140)	20 (146.8344)	23 (145.7256)
2019-05-25	Capital BBQ Festival Ottawa, ON	26 / 43 (634.8228)	2 (172.0228)	42 (147.3828)	13 (165.1200)	37 (150.2972)
2019-02-08	KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship 🏅 unrated Little Rock, AR	88 / 92 (648.3772)	87 (163.9428)	77 (162.8000)	92 (146.2172)	14 (175.4172)
2018-10-13	Back to BAYsics Primitive Contest-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES ( DAY 2) Monson, MA	12 / 18 (675.3828)	12 (166.8344)	12 (169.1428)	4 (176.0000)	15 (163.4056)
2018-10-12	Bay State BBQ Championship- CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) Monson, MA	16 / 26 (666.8228)	24 (159.3828)	3 (173.7144)	19 (162.3084)	6 (171.4172)
2018-10-12	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down Rocky Mount, NC	11 / 39 (659.2224)	20 (162.2400)	10 (167.9656)	14 (165.0856)	15 (163.9312)
2018-07-06	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	18 / 39 (629.5540)	26 (157.0856)	31 (148.5256)	9 (161.6800)	9 (162.2628)
2018-06-22	The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle Lenexa, KS	89 / 185 (637.0284)	111 (157.0744)	109 (157.6800)	33 (168.5712)	123 (153.7028)
2018-06-01	*Quebec City International BBQ & Music Festival Quebec City, G1R 4W6	2 / 22 (645.7488)	11 (155.4056)	4 (164.5716)	10 (156.6056)	3 (169.1660)
2017-10-13	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down Rocky Mount, NC	14 / 50 (674.1600)	30 (165.0972)	31 (162.8344)	8 (171.9656)	3 (174.2628)
2017-08-18	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Asheville, NC	24 / 29 (650.1140)	21 (164.5600)	7 (169.6800)	22 (159.9428)	27 (155.9312)
2017-05-05	Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC	41 / 75 (651.8288)	39 (163.9544)	54 (159.3716)	12 (169.6800)	40 (158.8228)
2016-06-17	Peak City Pigfest Apex, NC	7 / 46 (678.2056)	33 (162.8000)	5 (173.7028)	19 (166.2628)	1 (175.4400)
2016-05-06	Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC	7 / 76 (689.6460)	21 (170.8228)	51 (161.1088)	1 (177.7144)	1 (180.0000)
2015-10-09	Eastern Carolina BBQ ThrowDown Rocky Mount, NC	4 / 49 (682.7884)	11 (169.1200)	2 (173.7028)	2 (173.1428)	17 (166.8228)
2015-06-19	Peak City Pigfest Apex, NC	2 / 45 (682.7772)	29 (162.8000)	4 (172.5600)	11 (167.9772)	1 (179.4400)
2015-05-08	Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge Kannapolis, NC	3 / 74 (692.5028)	32 (168.5256)	2 (176.5600)	11 (171.4172)	4 (176.0000)
2014-10-10	Eastern Carolina BBQ ThrowDown Rocky Mount, NC	8 / 53 (669.5996)	17 (167.9656)	20 (165.1084)	11 (169.1084)	14 (167.4172)
2014-09-26	Butts and Beans BBQ Challenge Hickory, NC	7 / 24 (691.9428)	15 (167.9656)	6 (174.2972)	3 (177.7144)	11 (171.9656)
2014-09-19	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally Salisbury, NC	22 / 64 (668.4568)	25 (170.2744)	29 (166.2512)	14 (169.7028)	39 (162.2284)
2014-07-25	WNC BBQ Festival Maggie Valley, NC	33 / 46 (653.0400)	27 (163.9772)	38 (155.3828)	20 (166.8572)	22 (166.8228)
2014-06-20	Peak City Pig Fest Apex, NC	13 / 48 (658.1828)	6 (172.0000)	27 (160.5256)	3 (175.4172)	40 (150.2400)
2014-05-09	Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge Kannapolis, NC	5 / 80 (683.9312)	21 (168.5484)	1 (175.4172)	1 (178.2972)	40 (161.6684)
2014-04-11	Jammin' Pig BBQ Musice Festival Winston-Salem, NC	5 / 30 (670.2172)	4 (170.8572)	24 (155.3944)	1 (176.5600)	8 (167.4056)

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
2026 ↗	Master	#927 (60 pts)	#1010 (60 pts)	#1051 (60 pts)	#970 (60 pts)	#950 (60 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#1182 (60 pts)	#1242 (60 pts)	#1317 (60 pts)	#1231 (60 pts)	#1204 (60 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#1223 (68 pts)	#1319 (60 pts)	#1328 (88 pts)	#1199 (83 pts)	#1237 (73 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#1309 (60 pts)	#1341 (60 pts)	#1404 (60 pts)	#1348 (60 pts)	#1333 (60 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#1236 (60 pts)	#1286 (60 pts)	#1309 (60 pts)	#1262 (60 pts)	#1245 (60 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#726 (423 pts)	#433 (783 pts)	#955 (313 pts)	#874 (353 pts)	#522 (643 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#619 (546 pts)	#939 (341 pts)	#622 (591 pts)	#681 (541 pts)	#582 (626 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1225 (234 pts)	#1446 (194 pts)	#1187 (279 pts)	#1031 (349 pts)	#1007 (349 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#986 (330 pts)	#1765 (140 pts)	#1289 (245 pts)	#988 (375 pts)	#702 (570 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#534 (705 pts)	#1223 (250 pts)	#533 (730 pts)	#719 (520 pts)	#630 (595 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#372 (998 pts)	#443 (848 pts)	#475 (843 pts)	#199 (1423 pts)	#523 (708 pts)