Yup!
And he was strapped in..There is too much room in those old rides, even with a racing seat and he probably slipped out of the belts like a submarine...
They would not have let him on the track without the proper seat, belts and helmet.
He most likely was wearing a six point harness.
They fully release with one tug of a lever by the driver.
It’s what kept him safe, and allowed him to get out quickly in case of fire.