9th Annual Winners’ Circle BBQ (x2) Championships!
Saturday & Sunday, April 2 & 3, 2022 – Arcadia, CA
With the stunning San Gabriel Mountain range set as the backdrop and the thrill of thoroughbred horse races all weekend long, this is a DOUBLE BBQ contest like no other. Hearing the crowd of thousands of cheering race & BBQ fans, as well as the sounds of the human and equine athletes, families with children on carnival rides and more make these the most exciting BBQ contests ever.
Until the event begins -
Entries Close -
Four Meat State Championship x2
For the details of this contest, please click on the logo above.
MAK Grills People’s Choice (PC) Challenge
Enter either contest (or both) and PC both days!
Limited entrants!
For the details of this contest, please click on the logo above.
Saturday Prize Pool
April 2, 2022
Guaranteed minimum $7,500 CASH payout in the SATURDAY KCBS State BBQ Championship!
At 41 Teams we raise this to $10,000
At 51 Teams we raise this to $12,500
At 61 Teams we raise this to $15,000
At 71 Teams we raise this to $17,500
Sunday Prize Pool
April 3, 2022
Guaranteed minimum $6,000 CASH payout in the SUNDAY KCBS State BBQ Championship!
At 32 Teams we raise this to $ 7,500
At 41 Teams we raise this to $10,000
At 51 Teams we raise this to $12,500
At 61 Teams we raise this to $15,000
At 71 Teams we raise this to $17,500
For details on how these prize funds break down click here.
Welcome to the contest!
The (TWO) Santa Anita Winners’ Circle BBQ Championships are held at the Santa Anita Park horse race track.
These contests span both the INFIELD and the Colorado Parking Lot on the North side of the facility.
For those teams planning on cooking the contests on the INFIELD (Zone 1 & 2), as a contestant, you have a unique vantage point as the horses’ race and practice on the surrounding track throughout the day (and early mornings!). Needless to say, this creates special challenges, which we wish to spell out as clearly as possible from the onset. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
We have 4 zones, as shown on the map below. Please note the judging is at the pin in the center of the map.
Zone 1 – Blue shaded area, on the infield – this is the main event area. Teams interested in our MAK Grills People’s Choice contest will be placed in this zone. Teams on mostly level grass. Power available to all sites. New for 2022 – Please be advised that no vehicles over 11′ tall will be able to access this area at any time. Very limited amount of spaces available.
Zone 2 – Red shaded area, on the infield – this is the main event area. Most teams on grass, remaining on smooth pavement. Power available to all sites. New for 2022 – Please be advised that no vehicles over 11′ tall will be able to access this area at any time.
Zone 3 – Yellow shaded area, the Colorado Lot (not on the infield), to get to turn-in’s you will need to walk through the Colorado tunnel. Teams on parking lot asphalt, most sites are fairly level. Generator power available to all sites. This zone does not have any vehicle size constraints. Load in & load out on YOUR schedule. Team members will still receive passes to enter the park. Limited amount of spaces available.
Zone 4 – Green shaded area, the Colorado Lot (not on the infield), to get to turn-in’s you will need to walk through the Colorado tunnel. Teams on parking lot asphalt, most sites are fairly level . NO POWER provided in this zone, self-powered teams are welcomed! This zone does not have any vehicle size constraints. Load in & load out on YOUR schedule. Team members will still receive passes to enter the park. Limited amount of spaces available.
Zone 1 & 2- Vehicles up to 7.5′ tall
Zone 1 & 2 teams with more “normal” sized vehicles (<7.5’) will have nearly 24 hour facility/infield access, outside with exception to 7 am – 6 pm-ish on turn in days Saturday 4/2/22 & Sunday 4/3/22. Zone 1 & 2 teams will be allowed to park normal sized vehicles (<7.5’) vehicles in the infield, at their camps, overnight (Thursday and/or Friday and/or Saturday nights) but will need to move them to a designated parking area by 7 am on turn in days Saturday 4/2/22 & Sunday 4/3/22. Exception: If your vehicle fits in your designated area and does not block the public view of your site (parked on side or in the back) then it may remain. However, this is subject to review and approval by SAWC staff. All vehicles parked in/on the infield must display an approved access pass at all times.
Zone 1 & 2 – Vehicles over 7.5′ but under 11′ tall
Zone 1 teams with vehicles under 11′ tall will be able to enter the infield at approximately 10:30 am Friday 4/1/22. Teams that wish to load in on Thursday (3/31/22) may do so by scheduling with SAWC staff. Please also be advised that teams with vehicles over 7.5′ but under 11′ tall that want to arrive or depart on Friday or Saturday can only do so from 7-9 pm. Entry to the infield for these vehicles is through a (dirt surface) tunnel, and all vehicles/teams using this tunnel must be escorted by an OFFICIAL Santa Anita Park staff. During the race day we may have to group teams together to travel through the tunnel at specific times, so as not to disturb the athletes.
Zone 3 & 4 – Vehicles Over 11′ Tall
New for 2022 /SAWC9- Teams with vehicles >11′ tall will ONLY be allowed to park these vehicles in Zone 3 & 4 in the Colorado parking lot. As such we’ve created a new option where you can have a space in both Zone 1/2 and Zone 3. In case your cooking trailer is a different vehicle than your RV.
As of 3/4/22 Zone 3 is FULL and now only taking entries on a wait list.