I recently won entry into a rib eating contest at a local bar and
grill by eating alot at their all you can eat rib night.  The prize
for the contest is a brand new BBQ, so I'd like to do well ;)

The contest is fairly straight forward.  Eat as many ribs as possible
in 45 minutes.

I can't seem to find any strategies on the net detailing the best
approach.  My thoughts were to eat a minimal amount that day (cereal
breakfast, soup for lunch) and then hit the gym and hour or two before
and do cardio for at least an hour to get my metabolism up.

In summary:
- What should I eat the day of the contest?
- Should I work out the day of the contest? For how long?  How much
time should I have between working out and the contest?
- Should I consume water or pop during the contest?

Swallow a tapeworm, preferably one with a voracious appetite.

I haven't looked but I guess that you might be able to pick one up on ebay.

(It's always worked for me.)

I call mine the Buda Pest ... he's always hungary.

I think there are two basic strategies to contest eating.  First is to
expand your stomach by drinking a lot of water every day.  Try eating
chili peppers or something to get you to drink the water.  The second
thing is to practice chewing faster.  In a 45 minute contest that is
maybe not as big a concern as that would seem to be a war of
attrition.

Or learning to gulp down bigger chunks.

Ha ha, Probono.  Just so you know your humour was noticed. ;-)

Here is an article about competative eating with a few strategies for
preparing your stomach.  Here is an excerpt, the rest can be found in
the article:

"Competitive eaters stretch their stomachs the way runners stretch
hamstrings. In the days before a match, some eaters engage in
buffet-busting, causing seizures in owners of all-you-can-eat buffets
as they approach their 10th plate. The Thursday before the matzo ball
match, five eaters each downed a 76-ounce steak. Eating the entire
thing made it free, and earned them a T-Shirt and their picture on the
steakhouse wall. Hungry Charles finished his the quickest -- 27 1/2
minutes. But every eater has a different strategy, and many, including
Eric and Charles, have generally left the buffets behind. Eric is now
a vegetable man. He eats around 10 pounds at a sitting at least three
times a week before a big match, increasing the volume each time.
He'll often cook up a large pot of cabbage. If pressed for time, he'll
chow down on watermelon.

To become a champion, the competitive eater must understand every
aspect of the eating process. Mastication is a tool, digestion
irrelevant, and urges contrary to swallowing -- one of the IFOCE
euphemisms for vomiting -- equal death. How much can your stomach
hold? How large a portion can you swallow? How fast can you chew? How
quickly and accurately can you get the food from your plate to your
mouth? Champions don't drop half a serving on the floor, or waste it
on their shirt. Hand to mouth and down the gullet. That's what counts
in the final score. Chewing, swallowing, and placing the food directly
into your mouth as quickly as possible are essential and trainable
skills. The champion eater must know his strengths and weaknesses in
their totality and be able to make necessary improvements and
adjustments at a swallow's notice. He or she must know which abilities
need work and which will lead to glory. And when one has other
commitments, one fits training into the everyday routine. Standing in
the conductor's booth, Eric Booker chews 20 sticks of sugarless gum to
build jaw strength. He'll chew 50 times on the left, 50 times on the
right, then 50 in the front. Next time you take the 7 train, if "stand
clear of the closing doors" sounds a bit mush-mouthed, Eric Booker
might be your conductor."

From the website:
http://www.blacktable.com/getlen050518.htm