We enjoy visiting with some of the biggest names in BBQ and this week is no exception as David Knight, BBQ Hall of Fame Class of 2016, headlines Episode 151 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast. Even if you don’t know Knight, you probably have tasted food that’s come off one of his iconic Ole Hickory Pit smokers which service many of the world’s top BBQ restaurants.

Knight tells the story of how he developed Ole Hickory, based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, after nearly accidentally burning his restaurant down a couple of times in 1974 due to a smoker design malfunction. Knight simply designed and built something the worked. Nearly 50 years later, Ole Hickory remains an industry mainstay and Knight an active leader in the company and a leading proponent of Operation BBQ Relief. He even tells the story of installing an Ole Hickory Pit on a Carnival Cruise ship at the request of his buddy Guy Fieri.

We also welcome Sam Heinrich, co-owner of the Iowa BBQ Store, with news about a big KCBS Pro, Backyard and Steak Series competition coming to Iowa in just a few weeks. Sam also tells us about how he and Dusty Ware are cooking on legendary Rod Gray’s old BBQ trailer and jambo they purchased last fall.

A big thanks to our great sponsor/marketing partners who make Season 4 of the show possible: Blues Hog BBQ Sauce, Royal Oak Charcoal, The Butcher Shoppe, Iowa BBQ Store, Fergolicious BBQ, Affordable Financial Services, Arkassippi Smoke Live and The Arkassippi Combo, Pro Technology Solutions, Vietti Marketing, In the Garden of Eden and Marty “Sign Man” Prather and Domino’s.

We still have room for a couple of more sponsors. Contact me at [email protected] for more info. Have a great BBQ Week and thanks for listening! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm