NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Dan Fletcher became just the third NHRA racer to earn 100 national event victories when he claimed the Super Street title during the Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N Filters at Route 66 Raceway. Fletcher won after Division 7 JEGS Allstars representative Greg Ventura red-lighted in the final round. Fletcher joins John Force (148 wins) and Frank Manzo (105) as the only drivers to hit the century mark.

“When I started I never thought one win was possible, much less 100,” said Fletcher. “In my first final round, Greg Stanfield was gracious enough to turn it red for me, and I’d have never thought that 20 years later I’d still be at it. When we were getting ready for the final, I wasn’t nervous at all. I wasn’t thinking about 100 wins. I just wanted to get a win. It was that simple; I just wanted to win. Period."

Fletcher’s first career win came more than two decades ago at the 1994 Columbus event when he defeated four-time champ and future Pro Stock racer Stanfield in the final. Buoyed by his first win, Fletcher decided to embark on a cross-country trip from his home in upstate New York to the Western Swing events in Denver, Sonoma, and Seattle. Fletcher swept all three of those titles and a short time later, made the bold decision to quit his 9-5 job at Xerox in order to become a full-time touring NHRA Sportsman drag racer. During his career, Fletcher has won three national championships, two in Super Stock and one in Comp Eliminator.

Since his first win in 1994, Fletcher has managed to win at least one event each season including a career-best nine wins in 2012. Fletcher is also one of just six drivers to win in six different classes with victories in Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street. He has also won races at 22 different facilities, including all of the current national event venues except for Norwalk and Epping.

Competing against the best drivers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Fletcher has beaten 23 different national champions in final rounds, including Kevin Helms, Jimmy DeFrank, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Stanfield, and Jeff Taylor.

Fletcher normally competes in Super Stock and Stock with his Peak-backed Chevrolet Camaro entries, but he decided to make a change in Chicago and entered his dragster in Super Comp and the Super Street Chevy Nova normally raced by his son, Timothy. After an early loss in the dragster, he went the distance in the Nova. Fletcher’s 100th victory came in his 150th career final round.

“I haven’t had much luck lately, so I decided to change it up,” said Fletcher. “My kids took my Stocker and Super Stocker, and I loaded up our dragster and Timothy’s Nova to change it up. I choked in the dragster against Shawn Langdon, but the Nova came through with flying colors. It’s awesome to finally get this done.”