Travis Clark, Clark Crew BBQ, left, accepts his grand champion awards Saturday from contest organizer Corey Linton, right, and Amy Linton.
OSAGE CITY, Kan. – A Yukon, Okla., barbecue team has become the first team to be a three-time grand champion at the Smoke in the Spring State BBQ Championship, at Osage City, Kan, after claiming that title again Saturday.
Clark Crew BBQ, with head cook Travis Clark, has been sweeping barbecue championships across the Midwest the last few years, and added another Smoke in the Spring State BBQ Championship to that tally after a tight competition among top cooks on April 13, 2019, at Jones Park, in Osage City. The team previously won grand champion at the Osage City competition in 2016 and 2017.
Clark Crew squeezed out last year’s grand champs, Hogline BBQ, Dustin and Mary Reese, of Owatonna, Minn., who claimed reserve grand champion this year. Coming in third overall was Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Rub, Chris Hoisington, of Olathe, Kan.
The three top winners all claimed the honor of being in the “700 Club”, which means their score tallies of the four main Kansas City Barbeque Society categories, chicken, ribs, pork and brisket, exceeded 700 points. Showing the tough competition among the 104 teams registered at the Osage City contest, 10 total 180 scores were given out in the six contest categories. A 180 is considered KCBS’s perfect score in a single category.
Clark Crew came out strong, earning second place and one of three 180s in the first category of chicken. The team went on to take money prizes for third in pork and 10th in brisket. Placing out of the money with 20th in ribs, Clark’s score was still in the 170s, boosting his final tally to 706.24 to take grand champ and $5,750.
Announcing his championship win to friends on Facebook, Travis Clark noted this was his third grand champion in four years at Osage City.
“One of my favorite contests, (contest organizer) Corey Linton and all of his people do it right,” Clark said. “So many contests could learn how to be a successful contest (from Smoke in the Spring.) 104 teams again, that’s crazy.
“Clark Crew BBQ had a solid cook and [we were] really happy with the new recipes I’m trying, these sauces are legit and are working with my rubs and a few new spins on what I’ve always done,” Clark said.
As reserve champs, Hogline provided strong competition, earning their top score of 178 with a first place in pork. Adding to their money was a seventh place in chicken, joining the high scorers in that category with a 177.7. Adding in $2,500 for reserve champs, the Hogline team went home with about $3,275.
As the other 700 Club member of the day, Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Rub’s score and prize money was boosted by $600 for a first place and 180 score in the final main competition category of the day, brisket. Hunka Hunka also took home money for fifth in dessert, 10th in Cook’s Choice, and eighth in chicken. They placed 19th in ribs and 24th in pork, adding to their third-place overall win. The team’s winnings totaled $1,475.
Other notable feats during the contest include the many 180 scores: Oink, Moo & Cock-Doodle-Do, first place and 180 in Cook’s Choice; four 180s in dessert, listed in order of placing, Ribs N’ Bib, Boomerang BBQ, Porky McBeef and Cluckers, and The Smoking Hills; three 180s in chicken, Smoke This BBQ, Clark Crew BBQ, Boomerang BBQ; pork ribs winner with 180, BYO Grill; and Hunka Hunka’s previously mentioned 180 brisket win.
The day’s competitors included 104 teams from 10 states. In addition to the contest crew, 126 barbecue judges and table captains from across the Midwest converged at the Osage City Community Building to judge the contest. Showing the high integrity of the judging process at Osage City, all of the judges were certified judges, with about 75 percent of them master certified barbecue judges, which means they had fulfilled KCBS requirements to earn that designation.
Here are the payout winners and their total scores:
Cook’s Choice
- Oink, Moo, & Cock-Doodle Doo 180.0000
- Beaux Hawg BBQ 176.5828
- Smokesdidier BBQ 176.5600
- Boxer Q BBQ 174.8572
- Shark Q 174.8572
- Grills Gone Wild – Iowa 36.0000 174.8456
- BBQ Bonanza 174.2972
- M Squared Smokin’ Q 174.2856
- Big Al and The Boys 174.2744
- Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Rub 172.5828
Chicken
- Smoke This BBQ – MO 180.0000
- Clark Crew BBQ 180.0000
- Boomerang BBQ 180.0000
- Backdraft BBQ 179.4400
- Boom Chicka Cow Cow 178.8572
- 913 BBQ 177.7028
- Hogline BBQ 177.7028
- Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Rub 177.1428
- Darkside BBQ 176.5828
- Unfamous Daves 176.5600
- T-Mac Smokin 175.4172
- Iowa’s Smokey D’s BBQ 175.4172
- The Smoking Hills 175.4056
- M Squared Smokin’ Q 174.8572
- Uncle J’s 174.8572
Pork
- Hogline BBQ 178.2972
- Tebo Creek BBQ 177.7144
- Clark Crew BBQ 177.7028
- T-Mac Smokin 177.7028
- B-S BBQ Outlaws 175.4172
- Sublime BBQ 175.4056
- Heavy Smoke STL 175.4056
- Man Meat BBQ 175.4056
- 913 BBQ 175.4056
- Hog Busters 175.4056
- Parra Q 173.7372
- Overland Pork BBQ 173.7028
- Smilin’ Dragon BBQ 173.1428
- The Smoking Hills 173.1200
- Lazy Butt BBQ Crew 173.1200
Pork Ribs
- BYO Grill 180.0000
- Lucky 19 Sauce Company 179.4400
- Tebo Creek BBQ 650 179.4400
- Squealing Pig BBQ 177.7028
- Jousting Pigs BBQ 176.5600
- High I Que 176.5600
- 3 Pigs Smokin 176.0000
- Porky McBeef and the Cluckers 176.0000
- Parts R Smokin 175.4172
- Barrel Boys BBQ 174.8572
- Uncle J’s 174.8456
- Big Al and The Boys 174.2744
- Smoke This BBQ – MO 174.2628
- Man Meat BBQ 173.7144
- Smilin’ Dragon BBQ 173.7028
Brisket
- Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Rub 180.0000
- Iowa’s Smokey D’s BBQ 179.4400
- Smokin Wille’s BBQ 178.3200
- High I Que 177.7028
- Smilin’ Dragon BBQ 177.7028
- Smoke This BBQ – MO 176.5944
- Grillin Beavers 176.5600
- Beaux Hawg BBQ 176.0116
- Boom Chicka Cow Cow 175.4400
- Clark Crew BBQ 175.4172
- Heavy Smoke STL 175.4056
- Lazy Butt BBQ Crew 175.4056
- Gettin’ Sauced 175.4056
- Barrel Boys BBQ 174.8800
- Old Style BBQ 174.8800
Dessert
- Ribs N Bibs 180.0000
- Boomerang BBQ 180.0000
- Porky McBeef and the Cluckers 180.0000
- The Smoking Hills 180.0000
- Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Rub 178.8572
- Grills Gone Wild – Iowa 178.2972
- B & C Smokers 177.1428
- Drum Daddy BBQ 176.6400
- M. T. Pockets 176.5828
- Unfamous Daves 176.5716
Overall
- Clark Crew BBQ 706.2400
- Hogline BBQ 703.3944
- Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Rub 701.0856
- Smoke This BBQ – MO 695.9772
- Uncle J’s 695.9428
- Tebo Creek BBQ 694.8116
- T-Mac Smokin 694.8000
- Man Meat BBQ 694.8000
- High I Que 693.6456
- Heavy Smoke STL 693.0740
- Weekend Bum BBQ 690.8804
- Boom Chicka Cow Cow 687.9428
- BYO Grill 686.7656
- Unfamous Daves 686.7656
- Lazy Butt BBQ Crew 686.7312
