DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA

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

Power ranking

#4368

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1475

peak 1523 · rated over 36 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-24

latest 2017-10-06

Best ToY finish

#471

Master 2016

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

6 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 36 contests

Avg finish

top 60%

overall standings

Best overall

670.8232 / 720

Master · Grillin' in Grafton

Perfect 180s

Current form

624.89 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 641.33 (-16.44)

Walk rate

47%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

179.4400

Chicken · *Route 66 Smoke Out

Consistency

±15.33

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 162.03 · weakest Pork Ribs (157.72)

Road miles

3,675

mi across 36 mapped stops · furthest 327 mi

Schedule strength

43%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1556)

Master avg

641.33 / 720

36 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (12 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.

High-water mark

670.8232 career-best overall

93.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 670.8232 at Grillin' in Grafton — 93.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
2016-07-01

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

HOG CALL BBQ has finished one call ahead of DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2013 their best year

2013 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 40%.

4 contests
1 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 40%

A tough matchup

21–2 behind in the head-to-head

QUAU ahead in 91% of their meetings

QUAU has come out ahead in 21 of their 23 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.3 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.30 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 11% of the time against 25%.

Pork Ribs avg 157.72
Chicken avg 162.03
4 calls in 36 entries

A strong matchup

9–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 90% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of KEN'S BURNT ENDS in 9 of their 10 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

19 of 21 shared chicken entries lost

THE SMOKE HUNTERS ahead 90% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, THE SMOKE HUNTERS has out-cooked them in 19 of 21 shared chicken entries.

Going the wrong way

-29 rating points in a year

The rating has slipped 29 points across 8 contests since 2017-05-05 — from 1504 down to 1475.

8 contests since 2017-05-05
now 1475

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Mr. B's BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A July team

Top 44% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 44% across 7 contests, versus top 60% the rest of the year.

7 July contests
top 60% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,675 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,675 miles across 36 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 327 miles to Jim Beam BBQ Classic.

36 mapped stops
furthest 327 mi

The metronome

±2.13% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.13% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.1% of a perfect score
36 contests

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.

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

BEER & SMOKING IN LAS VEGAS

#4377 of the rated field

1475 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1475

3–2 in 5 shared contests (60% to DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA)

These two have cooked 5 of the same contests — DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA ahead 3–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2018-05-04

⚔ Head-to-head

BLACK AND BLUE BBQ

#4363 of the rated field

1475 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1475

5–0 in 5 shared contests (100% to DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA)

Their last contest in the data was back in 2014, 3 years before DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 5 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Smoke Show BBQ

#4355 of the rated field

1475 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 42
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1475

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 36 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 36 contests
last seen 2026-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

YOU GONNA LIKE IT

#4365 of the rated field

1475 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1512

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 33 contests to 36, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 33 contests
last seen 2017-09-22

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin Good Time BBQ

#4345 of the rated field

1476 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1476

No shared contest yet.

29 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 7% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 29 contests
last seen 2025-04-18

⚔ Head-to-head

DEAD ON Q

#4369 of the rated field

1475 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 46
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1528

No shared contest yet.

Level with DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 46 contests
last seen 2024-10-19

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
QUAU	23	2	21	9%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKE HUNTERS	21	0	21	0%	⚔ compare
CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE	19	6	13	32%	⚔ compare
RACK MASTERS BBQ	19	4	15	21%	⚔ compare
TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
MUD'S BBQ	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
Its 5 Oclock Somewhere	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
JH OLD SCHOOL	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
YELLOW RIVER BBQ	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
BIG "E" BBQ	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
SMOKY LINCS	14	8	6	57%	⚔ compare
VALET PORKING	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
Mac Attack BBQ	14	2	12	14%	⚔ compare
CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	36	9	1	3	179.4400	146.7428	162.03	top 57%
Pork Ribs	36	4	0	0	169.6916	134.7656	157.72	top 61%
Pork	36	6	0	2	174.3200	150.2400	161.62	top 55%
Brisket	36	6	0	1	172.0000	145.6232	159.97	top 53%

“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
IL	25	top 54%
WI	6	top 70%
IN	4	top 74%
KY	1	top 84%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 67%
Medium (20–39)	18	top 62%
Large (40+)	17	top 57%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Red, White and BBQ (Day 2)	4	27	top 55%	2015-05-23
Grillin' in Grafton	3	4	top 63%	2017-06-30
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	3	19	top 72%	2015-07-10
Grill Games	2	30	top 73%	2017-08-25
*Heritage Days BBQ Showdown	2	13	top 48%	2017-06-23
*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2)	2	34	top 80%	2017-05-27
*Route 66 Smoke Out	2	18	top 60%	2017-05-05
Red, White & BBQ (Day 2)	2	24	top 63%	2016-05-28
Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest	2	7	top 25%	2014-07-11

The story so far (14 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 4.4 yrs 2013-05-24 → 2017-10-06

Busiest season 2015 10 contests

Contests a season 7.2 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in IL 25 of 36 contests · 4 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 23 9 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 36 entries · 1 win · 9 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 162.03 · weakest Pork Ribs (157.72)

Walk rate 47% a top-10 call in 17 of 36 contests

Overall top-10 rate 8% 3 of 36 contests

Master average 641.33 out of 720 · 36 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 514 611–781 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 3,675 36 mapped stops · furthest 327 mi

Schedule strength 1556 average field rating faced — tougher than 43% of rated contests

Power rating 1475 peak 1523 · #4368 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
May 24 First tracked contest Westmont Red, White & BBQ
May 24 First overall past 90% of a perfect score665.7142 Westmont Red, White & BBQ
Jun 21 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jul 5 First overall top-10 Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest
2014
Jul 11 Peak power rating (1523) Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest
2015
May 16 10th tracked contest Madison Magazine BBQ Festival
2016
Jul 1 25th tracked contest Grillin' in Grafton
Jul 1 Career-best overall score670.8232 Grillin' in Grafton
2017
May 5 First category win (Chicken) *Route 66 Smoke Out
May 5 Career-best single call (Chicken)179.4400 *Route 66 Smoke Out
Oct 6 Most recent contest *Harbor-Que

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.8	Grillin' in Grafton	2016-07-01
+11.8	Westmont Red, White & BBQ	2013-05-24
+10.2	Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest	2014-07-11
+7.7	Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest	2013-07-05
+6.5	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown	2016-06-24

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.5	Grillin' in Grafton	2017-06-30
-9.5	Madison Magazine BBQ Festival	2015-05-16
-8.4	Grillin' in Grafton	2015-06-26
-7.8	*Harbor-Que	2017-10-06
-7.5	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2013-06-21

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)
2017	8	0	1	25%	top 74%	89.7%	87.2%
2016	9	1	0	56%	top 57%	93.2%	90.8%
2015	10	0	0	30%	top 63%	90.9%	88.4%
2014	5	1	0	80%	top 51%	91.5%	89.7%
2013	4	1	0	75%	top 40%	92.5%	89.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017-10-06	*Harbor-Que Winthrop Harbor, IL	19 / 23 (608.9028)	22 (146.7428)	19 (150.8000)	16 (155.3944)	14 (155.9656)
2017-08-25	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	30 / 39 (627.8860)	36 (153.0744)	28 (156.5716)	14 (162.8572)	26 (155.3828)
2017-08-19	*McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ McHenry, IL	18 / 36 (635.8744)	16 (165.0972)	11 (162.2744)	27 (153.0856)	16 (155.4172)
2017-06-30	Grillin' in Grafton Graffton, WI	25 / 27 (605.5768)	20 (154.8000)	27 (134.7656)	12 (158.3084)	14 (157.7028)
2017-06-23	*Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL	24 / 42 (646.1940)	35 (154.2284)	32 (159.4172)	24 (161.6684)	6 (170.8800)
2017-05-27	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2) Westmont, IL	44 / 59 (634.7656)	45 (159.9312)	40 (159.9772)	38 (161.1544)	43 (153.7028)
2017-05-26	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1) Westmont, IL	34 / 40 (628.4456)	26 (162.2628)	21 (161.1544)	39 (150.2400)	32 (154.7884)
2017-05-05	*Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	22 / 29 (636.4112)	1 (179.4400)	27 (150.7772)	25 (155.9540)	24 (150.2400)
2016-09-30	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	36 / 43 (653.5656)	21 (169.7028)	37 (161.6572)	41 (158.2284)	29 (163.9772)
2016-07-22	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (Formerly Morton BBQ Throwdown) Peoria, IL	18 / 37 (658.1712)	33 (157.0628)	14 (165.7028)	9 (169.1428)	13 (166.2628)
2016-07-15	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour South Bend, IN	22 / 28 (640.9596)	23 (160.5028)	19 (159.3484)	19 (161.1200)	21 (159.9884)
2016-07-01	Grillin' in Grafton Grafton, WI	4 / 29 (670.8232)	4 (170.2744)	18 (159.9888)	3 (173.7144)	11 (166.8456)
2016-06-24	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL	13 / 33 (654.7428)	6 (173.1200)	16 (162.2516)	25 (155.4056)	13 (163.9656)
2016-06-17	*Hog Capital Challenge - JUDGES FULL Kewanee, IL	17 / 23 (647.2796)	17 (161.0856)	22 (143.2912)	3 (174.3200)	9 (168.5828)
2016-05-28	Red, White & BBQ (Day 2) Westmont, IL	38 / 55 (645.6684)	32 (165.1316)	50 (153.1200)	26 (164.5712)	25 (162.8456)
2016-05-27	Red, White & BBQ (Day 1) Westmont, IL	24 / 42 (654.7540)	16 (168.5600)	15 (166.2856)	30 (159.3828)	23 (160.5256)
2016-05-06	Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	18 / 40 (654.7200)	3 (173.1200)	34 (152.5028)	23 (160.5600)	10 (168.5372)
2015-10-16	10th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q Libertyville, IL	18 / 35 (649.0056)	7 (170.8344)	5 (169.1428)	24 (159.9656)	28 (149.0628)
2015-09-11	Windy City BBQ Classic Chicago, IL	28 / 61 (645.5536)	29 (163.4400)	12 (169.6684)	33 (164.5484)	51 (147.8968)
2015-08-28	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	34 / 49 (625.0172)	33 (158.2744)	21 (162.2972)	34 (157.0628)	40 (147.3828)
2015-07-24	5th Annual Morton BBQ Throwdown Morton, IL	23 / 47 (649.0628)	35 (156.5256)	22 (161.1544)	21 (165.1428)	15 (166.2400)
2015-07-10	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Indianapolis, IN	19 / 28 (637.5772)	20 (161.0972)	24 (152.5372)	15 (165.7028)	17 (158.2400)
2015-06-26	Grillin' in Grafton Grafton, WI	27 / 33 (622.1144)	32 (150.1828)	31 (143.9772)	10 (166.2628)	16 (161.6916)
2015-05-29	Smoke on the Prairie Brimfield, IL	12 / 18 (644.9372)	10 (162.2516)	5 (167.9772)	15 (156.5028)	15 (158.2056)
2015-05-23	Red, White and BBQ (Day 2) Westmont, IL	28 / 58 (654.8116)	37 (162.8000)	20 (165.7144)	28 (165.1772)	32 (161.1200)
2015-05-22	Red, White and BBQ (Day 1) Westmont, IL	28 / 41 (635.9088)	37 (152.5372)	26 (157.1544)	25 (162.8228)	13 (163.3944)
2015-05-16	Madison Magazine BBQ Festival Madison, WI	25 / 29 (602.0800)	19 (158.8000)	28 (138.2400)	23 (155.3828)	26 (149.6572)
2014-10-17	9th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q Libertyville, IL	23 / 42 (642.7544)	30 (159.9772)	7 (169.6916)	34 (151.4056)	21 (161.6800)
2014-07-11	Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest St. Charles, IL	7 / 34 (658.7772)	3 (171.4172)	21 (157.6800)	16 (164.0000)	6 (165.6800)
2014-06-27	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Indianapolis, IN	19 / 26 (635.2460)	9 (166.8228)	15 (159.4172)	14 (163.3828)	23 (145.6232)
2014-05-24	Red, White, And BBQ Westmont, IL	30 / 72 (653.1312)	32 (165.7028)	50 (157.2000)	30 (163.9884)	20 (166.2400)
2014-05-23	Red, White, and BBQ Westmont, IL	27 / 43 (640.4684)	39 (149.6228)	24 (157.7028)	6 (168.5828)	16 (164.5600)
2013-10-18	8th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q (TEAMS FULL) Libertyville, IL	20 / 54 (634.1600)	47 (150.2172)	7 (167.4172)	31 (153.1200)	9 (163.4056)
2013-07-05	Firin' Up the Fox BBQ Contest St. Charles, IL	10 / 34 (649.7142)	9 (165.1428)	29 (152.5716)	19 (159.9998)	3 (172.0000)
2013-06-21	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Indianapolis, IN	22 / 29 (637.1430)	16 (165.1428)	26 (148.0002)	4 (170.2858)	25 (153.7142)
2013-05-24	Westmont Red, White & BBQ Westmont, IL	11 / 70 (665.7142)	17 (168.0000)	32 (160.5716)	14 (169.7142)	13 (167.4284)

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	#700 (539 pts)	#520 (764 pts)	#703 (574 pts)	#659 (624 pts)	#542 (729 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#471 (853 pts)	#345 (1068 pts)	#563 (743 pts)	#397 (988 pts)	#456 (893 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#570 (648 pts)	#524 (743 pts)	#432 (868 pts)	#543 (718 pts)	#500 (753 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#746 (465 pts)	#655 (580 pts)	#744 (500 pts)	#708 (535 pts)	#696 (535 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#698 (448 pts)	#754 (433 pts)	#866 (368 pts)	#668 (498 pts)	#549 (583 pts)