Friday Hassler

Infobox NASCAR driver
Name = Raymond Hassler
Birthdate = birth date|1935|7|29
Died = death date and age|1972|2|17|1935|7|29
Birthplace = flagicon|USA Chattanooga, Tennessee
Cause of Death = racing crash
Best_Cup_Pos = 16th - 1971 (Winston Cup)
Cup_Wins = 0*
Cup_Top_Tens = 48
Cup_Poles = 2
First_Cup_Race = 1960 National 400 (Charlotte)
First_Cup_Win = None as starter (was relief driver for Charlie Glotzbach in 1971 Volunteer 500)
Last_Cup_Race = 1972 Winston Western 500 (Riverside)
Years_In_Cup = 10
Total_Cup_Races = 135|

Raymond "Friday" Hassler (July 29, 1935 – February 17, 1972) was a NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver. 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. 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.

It is said Hassler, an independent driver, helped develop the modern NASCAR race car. Because he was unable to buy the "factory" new equipment as an independent driver, he simply put the improved parts where they would go on the older cars. Thus began the modern race car.

Hassler's son Jay recently posted on the McClatchy Newspapers' THATSRACIN.COM "Scuffs" column by Tom Higgins discussing Charlie Glotzbach's win at Bristol Motor Speedway in the 1971 Volunteer 500. The summer race at Bristol, then run in mid-July, was a 500-lap race run on a hot Sunday afternoon without caution flags. It holds the distinction of being the fastest race at the track in its history to this day. After Hassler's own car dropped out of the race, Hassler replaced Glotzbach for a few stints of the race as a relief driver because of the immense heat and humidity. While it was not an official win, he became one of three drivers to co-drive a winning car in NASCAR's premier series, the third such situation in Bristol Motor Speedway history (Johnny Allen and Jack Smith, 1961, Fred Lorenzen and Ned Jarrett, 1963).