Career
He made his debut in 1960 but only drove a handful of races per year until 1967 when he drove 21 of the 49 races for Red Sharp and finished 32nd in points. He improved to 27th for Sharp the next year and drove his own car in 1969 to a 28th place finish. He did win the 1969 Snowball Derby in his late model car. In 1970 he drove for James Hanley and finished 20th in points. 1971 was his best season when he drove his own car to 13 top tens and a 16th place points result.
At the 1971 during the 1971 Volunteer 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Hassler was a relief driver for race winner Charlie Glotzbach. It was not an official win for Hassler and its only one of three instances where two drivers drove the winning car in a NASCAR premier series race.
Hassler died in a crash during the first Daytona 500 qualifying race in 1972 at the age of 36 and the peak of his career. The accident happened on Lap 19 and was started when the car of David Ray Boggs cut a tire.
Hassler is prominently featured in the 1975 book The World's Number One, Flat-Out, All-Time Great Stock Car Racing Book by Jerry Bledsoe.
Read more about this topic: Friday Hassler
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