Barbecue cooked to near perfection

Victory Lane wins 10th championship

When it comes to cooking championship quality barbecue, Heath Riles and his team, Victory Lane, knows the secret to success.

“We’re consistent at every contest,” said Riles, who is the team’s pit master. “It’s not always about winning. It’s about being consistent and being in the top all the time.”

On Oct. 3, Victory Lane cruised to a first-place finish at the Arlington BBQ Fall Fest. Victory Lane’s latest victory was its 10th win in 11 outings, and the win broke the Memphis Barbeque Network record of nine championships in a single season. The previous record of nine wins was held by Victory Lane, which set the mark in 2014.

At the Arlington cook off, Victory Lane won first place in the hog category and received a perfect score in the shoulder division, which helped the team net the grand champion trophy.

The Arlington judges complimented the team not only on the flavor of the

pork but also its presentation, said team member Seth Lacher.

Since the team began entering barbecue competitions three years ago, Victory Lane has won numerous championships, was named the 2014 Memphis Barbeque Network team of the year and placed 11th in the 2013 World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, eighth in 2014 and seventh in 2015.

Next up for Victory Lane will be the Smokin’ on the Rez cooking contest Oct. 23-24 in Ridgeland, Miss., followed by the team’s last competition of the season, the World Food Championships, in Florida next month.

Heath and Candice Riles present their barbecue shoulder to the judges during the Arlington cooking contest earlier this month. Their team won the grand championship.