Handbrake Turn

A handbrake turn is a driving technique where the driver pulls the handbrake while steering to make the rear wheels slide, allowing the car to quickly rotate around tight corners or turn around in small spaces.

This maneuver is also called a "bootleg turn" or "bootlegger's turn," names that come from the prohibition era when smugglers used this technique to quickly escape from authorities. The handbrake turn works by temporarily locking the rear wheels, which breaks their grip on the road surface and causes the back of the car to swing around.

To perform a handbrake turn, drivers approach a corner at low speed, turn the steering wheel sharply, then pull the handbrake while pressing the clutch pedal. As the car begins to rotate, they release the handbrake and apply throttle to control the exit. The key is timing and smooth control of all these inputs.

Rally drivers use handbrake turns most commonly, especially on tight hairpin corners where normal cornering would be too slow or impossible. The technique helps them navigate narrow forest roads and mountain passes where space is limited. You'll also see handbrake turns in gymkhana events, stunt driving, and some forms of drifting.

The technique works best in rear-wheel-drive cars, though it can be done in front-wheel-drive vehicles with different results. Modern rally cars often have hydraulic handbrakes instead of the cable-operated ones in regular cars, giving drivers more precise control over the rear wheel lockup.

While handbrake turns look dramatic and are useful in certain situations, they're not commonly used in circuit racing. The sliding motion scrubs off speed, making it slower than traditional cornering techniques on most race tracks. However, mastering this skill is essential for rally drivers and adds an important tool to any motorsport driver's repertoire.