by Mark Gibbs, Pitmaster of The Checkered Flag 500 BBQ

The Jack Daniel’s World BBQ Championships is in the books for 2017.  This was the Checkered Flag 500 BBQ’s first trip to the hollow and it was a great experience.  This contest is a huge event with a lot of ancillary competitions and side events for the competitors to do.  96 teams from around the world came together to compete and name the World Champion.

Tuffy Stone and Cool Smoke took home the Grand Champion honors for the 3^rd time in the last 4 years.  He has the mojo at this contest for sure!  On a side note, why isn’t our friend from Richmond, Virginia a member of the Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association?  The next time you see Tuffy make sure you ask him and hand him an application!

MABA was very well represented this year at this prestigious contest.  MABA members took some walks to the stage and gathered up some trophies for the mantel.

Sauce This – 4^th Overall

Wolf’s Revenge BBQ – 12^th Overall

Chix, Swine & Bovine, bbq – 14^th Overall

BEERBQUE – 22^nd Overall

Checkered Flag 500 BBQ – 28^th Overall

Redneck Scientific – 29^th Overall

Aporkalypse Now – 49^th Overall

Smokin’ Hoggz BBQ – 63^rd Overall

Game On BBQ – 72^nd Overall

Finn’s Finest BBQ – 83^rd Overall

Until this year, I did not realize how big this contest really was for folks that have been there.  This contest has the addictive properties of crack.  The first thing that you think about on the trip home (no matter where you finished in the standings) is how am going to get back next year?  Here is to the competitors of the 2016 Jack and to everyone with hopes of making a trip to Lynchburg in 2017!