To hear him tell it, the first time Vaughn Gittin Jr. ever pulled the handbrake on a car was around the track at Road Atlanta. Ever since then, the world famous Formula Drift driver has been all but addicted to his handbrake, yanking it back every chance he gets to, producing billowing clouds of tire smoke for the enjoyment of his many fans.

While in terms of victory and points, Gittin’s 2015 season hasn’t exactly been living up to expectations, judging from this video, the man is still enjoying himself to the fullest. Fans lined up to meet the famous Ford Mustang drifter, who despite the 85+ degree weather still went out amongst his fans like a champ before hopping in his 2014 Mustang drift car. As you might imagine, it’s way, way hotter inside the car than outside. They don’t call it “Hotlanta” for nothing you know.

Unfortunately for Gittin, during his chase run in the Round of 16, he overcorrected and spun out, earning him a seat in the spectator stands. You almost gotta feel bad for the guy, seeing him standing there looking all downtrodden as his friends raced on into the night. He’s nearly 100 points back in the standings right now sitting in a languid 7th place.

However, it’s only the second race of the season, and Gittin has proven to be a resilient racer. If he can take just one victory, he’ll be right back in the running for the 2015 championship. There’s still five races to go, and a veteran like Vaughn Gittin Jr. can never be counted out.