Interview With the Champs – Danny Thomas, Drilling & Grilling

by Brian Walrath, MABA Board Member and Pitmaster for Brown Liquor BBQ

An emerging team on the scene in the Mid-Atlantic right now you better watch out for is Drilling & Grilling, out of Glen Rock, PA.  Pitmaster Danny Thomas leads this team that has been competing since 2009 and have started 2017 on a tear…right where they left off in 2016, winning Boo-B-Que in late October.  Drilling & Grilling took grand champion honors at the recent Ironman competition in Greencastle, PA in a field of 59 strong teams and followed that up last weekend with a reserve grand champion finish at Interstate in Hagerstown, MD just down the road.  To say they’ve got it dialed in right now would be an understatement.

But if you know Danny and have spent much time with the Drilling & Grilling guys, you know they they’re just some great humble fellas dawning their signature cammo who ain’t afraid to have a little fun!  I caught up with Danny at Interstate and asked if he’d answer some questions for this month’s edition of IWTC, and he graciously agreed!

Question:
Congratulations on your recent win in Greencastle, PA at the Ironman competition.  How did it feel to go home with the Grand Championship?

Danny Thomas, Drilling & Grilling:
It always feels good to win any contest, but this one is special to us because we have competed in all of the Ironman competitions and won GC the last year it was just chicken and ribs before they went full KCBS.

Q:
How did your cook go…did you feel confident heading to awards?

DT, D&G:
We had a solid cook with no issues.  We thought our pork was maybe a little dry but felt maybe a Top 10 finish was realistic.  (Editor’s note…that “dry” pork finished 7th!)

Q:
Tell us a little about your team and teammates, where you’re from, how long you’ve been cooking, etc…

DT, D&G:
There are normally three of us…myself, my cousin Dan, and nephew John that compete.  We all live in southern Pennsylvania and we started cooking in the Fall of 2009.

Q:
What kind of equipment do you have?

DT, D&G:
We cook mainly on a Meadow Creek PR 60.  I am know for changing cookers weekly, lol, but always go back to the PR!

Q:
Tell our readers about the name Drilling & Grilling.

DT, D&G:
I own a Drilling company and back when we started I asked several employees what should the team name be…and Drilling & Grilling is what they came up with and it fits!

Q:
How many GCs is this for Drilling & Grilling?

DT, D&G:
Ironman is our fourth GC.

Q:
How many competitions are on the schedule this year for you guys?

DT, D&G:
We plan on 13 or 14 this year.

Q:
Are there any goals in barbecue you have yet to accomplish that you hope you check off your list this year?

DT, D&G:
We competed in the “The Jack” in 2013 and 2014 and did not get a call…we’d love to go back and hear our name called.

Q:
What makes Drilling & Grilling different or unique?

DT, D&G:
I feel you’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with.  That being your wife or barbecue teammates and we have a good team that works together.  Each has their place.

Q:
This win makes you eligible for the Royal Invitational and a possible Jack draw…will you go out to Kansas City or Lynchburg if your bung is pulled?

DT, D&G:
I’ve never had a desire to go to “The Royal,” but my goal in competing is to go back to “The Jack.”

Q:
I like to ask in this segment, what tip(s) do you have for competition teams to go from good to great and get that GC call?

DT, D&G:
This may sound cheesy but it’s just a piece of meat.  It should taste like and look like meat…and if cooked properly, any rub or sauce should compliment it and not offend anyone is the key.

Q:
Any parting shots or comments?

DT, D&G:
We should make sure we stop and take a moment to thank our Lord and our military for keeping us safe allowing us to live in this great land.  

Well put Danny.  Good luck to you and Drilling & Grilling the rest of the year and beyond!