Stunt driver Tanner Foust prepares to jump 332 feet in the air before the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.

For anyone who has ever played with Hot Wheels toy cars as a kid, this past weekend’s 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 offered a retro-tinged spectacle before the race even began.

Engineers have spent more than a year planning and building a life-size Hot Wheels track that would serve as the setting for a world-record jump attempt by a four-wheeled vehicle. Although Wired.com brought you the exclusive story on how the effort came together over the past few months, the identity of the driver was a tightly held secret. But when Sunday finally rolled around, it was Top Gear co-host Tanner Foust in the driver’s seat as the “Yellow Driver,” and his jump of 332 feet broke the record of 301 feet, set by Johnny Greaves in 2009.

What’s crazy is that even though Foust doesn’t hit the end ramp flush after the jump, the vehicle still manages to absorb the shock in such a way that he maintains complete control through the landing and (more importantly) the braking. In the end, the stunt proved a nice opening course for a dramatic Indianapolis 500, which was decided only in the final moments.