Q Cartel AB
Rating
1659
peak 1659 · rated over 24 contests
Best runs
8
straight top-10s
Contests
26
in the data
First seen
2023-09-23
latest 2026-06-19
Best ToY finish
#109
Master 2024
Grand champs
4
2 reserve
Category wins
9
29 podiums
Overall top-10s
17
of 26 contests
Avg finish
top 24%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
3 🔥
Current form
683.94 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 685.74 (-1.79)
Walk rate
88%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
8
best run (overall)
Consistency
±12.29
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 172.80 · weakest Chicken (170.43)
Road miles
9997
mi across 26 mapped stops · furthest 1275 mi
Schedule strength
53%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1548)
Purse competed for
$158K
listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
GCs in 5 state-championship entries
Master avg
685.74 / 720
24 Master contests · 4 GCs
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
Brisket Butts has finished one call ahead of Q Cartel 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
BIGG SMOAK BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has come out ahead in 5 of their 5 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of ROKER Q in 13 of their 14 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
Small Town Smoke Down is their spot: 2 Grand Championships in 3 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Came within 1.1312 points of the Grand Championship at Barbeque on the Bow Festival (2025-08-30).
📅 A August team
Something about August: average finish in the top 8% across 4 contests, versus top 24% the rest of the year.
🃏 Against the odds
Their Grand Championship at Hill City Wine, Brew & BBQ (2024-08-23) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 18-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, LAST CALL HEROES BBQ.
Teams like this (closest power rating, AB first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slam Dunk BBQ | 15 | 13 | 2 | 87% | ⚔ compare |
| Brisket Butts | 15 | 8 | 6 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| SMELLAQUE | 15 | 5 | 10 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| ROKER Q | 14 | 13 | 1 | 93% | ⚔ compare |
| Kreiser Barbecue | 14 | 9 | 5 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| Homestead Smoke Shack | 13 | 9 | 4 | 69% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' OUTLAWS | 13 | 6 | 7 | 46% | ⚔ compare |
| MOTLEY QUE | 12 | 11 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| BIGG SMOAK BBQ | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| Bottle Hill BBQ | 11 | 9 | 2 | 82% | ⚔ compare |
| EFFIN'EH GRAY'S | 11 | 7 | 4 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| Mc Que It | 10 | 10 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Mark's Meats and Treats | 10 | 10 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| ARROWHEAD NORTH BBQ | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Hogparts School of Smokecraft and Brew'ery | 9 | 9 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 25 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 177.7028 | 163.4056 | 170.43 | top 43% |
| Pork Ribs | 25 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 180.0000 🔥 | 158.2172 | 171.05 | top 34% |
| Pork | 24 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 178.8572 | 155.4400 | 171.89 | top 29% |
| Brisket | 24 | 18 | 3 | 8 | 180.0000 🔥 | 161.6800 | 172.80 | top 25% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB | 13 | 3 | top 15% |
| SK | 4 | 0 | top 41% |
| MN | 2 | 0 | top 66% |
| KS | 2 | 0 | top 12% |
| ND | 1 | 0 | top 41% |
| MB | 1 | 0 | top 13% |
| SD | 1 | 1 | top 3% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 20% |
| Medium (20–39) | 18 | 4 | top 20% |
| Large (40+) | 5 | 0 | top 39% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Town Smoke Down | 3 | 1 | 2 | top 20% | 2026-05-30 |
| Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 15% | 2026-05-23 |
| Smokey Skies BBQ Competition | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 26% | 2026-06-19 |
| Barbeque on the Bow Festival | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 13% | 2025-08-30 |
| Didsbury Lions BBQ | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 14% | 2025-07-26 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2025 (11 contests)
- Cooks mostly in AB (15 of 26 contests)
- Most-entered category: Chicken (25 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Hill City Wine, Brew & BBQ (2024-08-23)
- Wins it all in 15% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 685.74 / 720
- 3 perfect 180s on the books 🔥
Milestones
- 🚩 2023-09-23 — First tracked contest · Smoke 'N the Valley
- 📣 2023-09-23 — First call · Smoke 'N the Valley
- 🏆 2024-08-23 — First Grand Championship · Hill City Wine, Brew & BBQ
- 🔥 2024-09-21 — First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) · Smoke 'N the Valley
- 🎖️ 2026-05-30 — 25th tracked contest · Small Town Smoke Down
- ⭐ 2026-05-30 — Career-best overall score (706.2856) · Small Town Smoke Down
- 📈 2026-06-19 — Peak power rating (1659) · Smokey Skies BBQ Competition
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +19.7 | Hill City Wine, Brew & BBQ | 2024-08-23 |
| +16.3 | Prairie Dog on the Bow | 2024-08-31 |
| +16.2 | Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship | 2024-05-25 |
| +14 | Small Town Smoke Down | 2025-05-31 |
| +12.4 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest | 2025-11-05 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -14.4 | Minnesota in May | 2026-05-08 |
| -10.1 | Small Town Smoke Down | 2024-06-08 |
| -5.4 | Smoke 'N the Valley | 2023-09-23 |
| -0.7 | ND BBQ Championship | 2026-05-01 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 86% | top 36% | 98.1% | 95% |
| 2025 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 82% | top 16% | 97.9% | 95.8% |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 100% | top 20% | 96.9% | 95.1% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 73% | 91.3% | 91.3% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | Smokey Skies BBQ Competition Kipling, SK | 9 / 24 (673.0740) | 2 (174.8572) | 18 (162.8112) | 8 (167.9656) | 9 (167.4400) |
| 2026-05-30 | Small Town Smoke Down Bassano, AB | 1 / 24 (706.2856) | 1 (176.5600) | 5 (174.8456) | 2 (178.8572) | 2 (176.0228) |
| 2026-05-23 | Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship Calmar, AB | 4 / 23 (690.2056) | 10 (169.1200) | 2 (174.8572) | 11 (171.9656) | 5 (174.2628) |
| 2026-05-23 | Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Calmar, AB | — | 3 (173.1200) | — | — | — |
| 2026-05-23 | Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Calmar, AB | — | — | 2 (178.8572) | — | — |
| 2026-05-08 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 61 / 77 (671.8972) | 75 (165.6800) | 54 (166.2400) | 2 (178.2972) | 68 (161.6800) |
| 2026-05-01 | ND BBQ Championship 🏅 Fargo, ND | 29 / 71 (678.2516) | 42 (167.4400) | 39 (166.8344) | 12 (174.8572) | 25 (169.1200) |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest Kansas City, KS | 18 / 158 (697.0972) | 93 (171.4056) | 42 (174.8572) | 80 (170.8344) | 2 (180.0000) |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 51 / 401 (694.8000) | 157 (171.9772) | 188 (169.7028) | 44 (176.5600) | 34 (176.5600) |
| 2025-09-27 | Smoke in the Valley Edmonton, AB | 3 / 23 (687.4056) | 13 (169.1084) | 13 (166.2972) | 1 (174.8456) | 2 (177.1544) |
| 2025-09-06 | Big Smoke Bonnyville Bonnyville, AB | 3 / 15 (691.9888) | 12 (169.1316) | 3 (174.8572) | 1 (174.2628) | 4 (173.7372) |
| 2025-08-30 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB | 2 / 38 (696.5372) | 2 (176.5600) | 15 (168.0116) | 4 (174.2628) | 1 (177.7028) |
| 2025-07-26 | Didsbury Lions BBQ Didsbury, AB | 3 / 32 (688.5144) | 6 (172.5600) | 16 (167.3944) | 3 (174.8572) | 4 (173.7028) |
| 2025-06-30 | Blue Bombers BBQ Pit Master Showdown Winnipeg, MB | 3 / 24 (686.8228) | 3 (174.2856) | 1 (177.7144) | 15 (166.8228) | 9 (168.0000) |
| 2025-06-21 | Smokey Skies BBQ Competition Kipling, SK | 4 / 27 (695.4172) | 7 (172.5484) | 14 (169.1316) | 8 (173.7372) | 1 (180.0000) |
| 2025-05-31 | Small Town Smoke Down Bassano, AB | 1 / 25 (704.5600) | 2 (177.7028) | 4 (174.8572) | 3 (175.4400) | 3 (176.5600) |
| 2025-05-24 | Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship Calmar, AB | 8 / 34 (673.5888) | 7 (171.4172) | 25 (158.2172) | 7 (169.6916) | 5 (174.2628) |
| 2025-02-21 | Fire on Ice BBQ Championship 🏅 Onamia, MN | 22 / 42 (670.2404) | 35 (165.7260) | 25 (165.1088) | 23 (168.5600) | 14 (170.8456) |
| 2024-09-21 | Smoke 'N the Valley Fort Qu'Appelle, SK | 8 / 21 (678.1940) | 13 (165.6800) | 1 (180.0000) | 15 (163.3940) | 8 (169.1200) |
| 2024-08-31 | Prairie Dog on the Bow Calgary, AB | 1 / 24 (690.2400) | 3 (174.8456) | 6 (173.7144) | 12 (167.9772) | 5 (173.7028) |
| 2024-08-31 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB | 7 / 35 (687.4288) | 31 (164.5600) | 6 (173.7260) | 6 (173.7028) | 6 (175.4400) |
| 2024-08-23 | Hill City Wine, Brew & BBQ 🏅 Hill City, SD | 1 / 29 (689.0512) | 15 (170.2628) | 3 (175.4172) | 11 (167.9656) | 1 (175.4056) |
| 2024-07-27 | Didsbury Lions BBQ Didsbury, AB | 5 / 28 (687.9088) | 9 (170.8228) | 8 (170.8460) | 1 (175.4056) | 8 (170.8344) |
| 2024-06-08 | Small Town Smoke Down Bassano, AB | 14 / 27 (663.3484) | 13 (167.3712) | 17 (161.1316) | 10 (171.4400) | 18 (163.4056) |
| 2024-05-25 | Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship Calmar, AB | 2 / 39 (697.7144) | 25 (164.5600) | 2 (176.0000) | 4 (178.2972) | 3 (178.8572) |
| 2023-09-23 | Smoke 'N the Valley Lumsden, SK | 19 / 26 (657.1316) | 20 (163.4056) | 5 (174.8688) | 24 (155.4400) | 15 (163.4172) |
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 | #213 (726 pts) | #154 (984 pts) | #200 (869 pts) | #158 (896 pts) | #236 (676 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #130 (1413 pts) | #181 (1223 pts) | #279 (918 pts) | #173 (1188 pts) | #117 (1468 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #109 (1404 pts) | #286 (804 pts) | #134 (1339 pts) | #174 (1124 pts) | #146 (1239 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1164 (81 pts) | #1253 (76 pts) | #933 (176 pts) | #1582 (56 pts) | #1145 (101 pts) |