Last season was a bit of a letdown for Formula Drift Mustang driver Justin Pawlak. After several break-out victories, Pawlak looked set to claim the 2011 championship for himself. Alas, he had to settle for second place, and no competitor is ever satisfied with second place.

So it is that Pawlak is doing whatever he can to get far, far ahead of his other competitors during the 2012 Formula Drift season. And so far, so good, as Pawlak was able to claim his second first-place finish in a row at this past weekend’s competition down in Atlanta, Georgia.

Road Atlanta is where Formula Drift first took hold, and it is a place where Pawlak has seen some mixed success before. This year though it was all Pawlak all the time, as he defeated a number of well-known racers including 2010 Rookie of the Year Fredric Aasbo in his Nissan 240sx.

The victory at Round 2 of the 2012 Formula Drift season is the second in a row for Pawlak, giving him a commanding lead in the overall score. With 209 points, Pawlak is mor ethan 50 points ahead of his next closest competitor. Pawlak’s teammate, 2010 champ Vaughn Gittin Jr., seems to have fallen off. Gittin Jr. didn’t even make it to the Round of Eight at Road Atlanta, and his overall standing has sunk to 13th place.

But the season is far from over, and while Pawlak is ahead now, the competition is constantly nipping at his heels. Can Gittin pull a miracle comeback? Will Pawlak hold on to his lead? Stay tuned for the next round of Formua Drift coming to Palm Beach, Florida, June 1st and 2nd.