It’s said that a great race driver can race anything, anywhere. John Andretti proved that more than once—for example, that time he wheeled a 300 mph Top Fuel Dragster.

The racing world was crushed this week to learn of the death of one of its most beloved personalities, John Andretti, who passed away at 56 after a courageous battle with colon cancer. John was racing royalty—son of Aldo Andretti, nephew of Mario, cousin of Michael, Jeff, and Marco—but he raced like a journeyman. He was ready and willing to drive anything, anywhere: sports cars, stock cars, Indy cars.

Just a few of John’s exploits: In 1989, he teamed up with legends Derek Bell and Bob Wollek to win the 24 Hours of Daytona in a Porsche 962, and later that year, he and Wollek won again in Palm Beach. In NASCAR Winston Cup, John won the Pepsi 400 in Daytona and in Martinsville on the diabolical half-mile bullring. In Indy cars, he started the Indy 500 12 times, won at Surfer’s Paradise in 1991, and in 1994 he was the first driver to attempt “The Double,” racing in the Indy 500 and in the Coca Cola 600 in Charlotte on the same day.

A number of drivers, including John’s legendary uncle Mario, have been noted for their versatility, but in 1993 John kicked it up to another level, strapping on Jack Clark’s Taco Bell Top Fuel dragster. With only a single test session under his belt to familiarize himself with the 300 mph monster, John qualified comfortably at the Fram Southern Nationals and raced all the way to the semifinals. The video below captures that entire amazing day in Atlanta, and here, along with John’s undeniable abilities, we get to see something else, too: a race driver exploring his limits and truly enjoying himself. Rest in peace, John Andretti.