Handbrake Turn

A handbrake turn is a driving technique where the driver pulls the handbrake to lock the rear wheels and make the car spin sideways quickly, allowing it to change direction in a tight space or navigate sharp corners more efficiently.

This maneuver, also called a "bootleg turn" or "bootlegger's turn," works by disrupting the grip between the rear tires and the road surface. When you pull the handbrake while turning, the rear wheels stop spinning but the car's momentum keeps it moving forward, causing the back end to slide out and rotate the vehicle rapidly.

In rally racing, drivers frequently use handbrake turns to navigate hairpin bends and extremely tight corners where slowing down and steering normally would take too much time. The technique allows them to maintain better speed through sections of the course that would otherwise require coming to a near-stop.

To perform a handbrake turn, the driver first steers into the corner, which shifts the car's weight to the outside wheels. Then they pull the handbrake while simultaneously pressing the clutch pedal (in manual transmission cars) to prevent the engine from stalling. As the car rotates, the driver releases the handbrake and applies throttle to power out of the turn.

The technique works best in rear-wheel-drive vehicles, though it can be performed in front-wheel-drive cars with different results. Modern rally cars often use specially designed hydraulic handbrakes instead of the cable-operated ones found in regular cars, providing more precise control over how much the rear wheels lock up.

You'll also see handbrake turns in other motorsport disciplines like gymkhana, autotesting, and drifting competitions. Stunt drivers use this technique for dramatic effects in movies and demonstrations, including quick parallel parking or spinning a car 180 degrees in a confined space.

The main drawback of a handbrake turn is that it causes significant speed loss. Unlike smooth cornering techniques used in circuit racing, locking the rear wheels creates drag and scrubs off momentum. This is why you rarely see handbrake turns in traditional track racing where maintaining speed is crucial.

Learning to execute a proper handbrake turn requires practice to master the timing and coordination. Drivers must synchronize their steering input, handbrake application, clutch operation, and throttle control. Pulling the handbrake too early or too late, or holding it too long, can result in spinning out or not rotating enough. The driver also needs to select the correct gear beforehand to ensure they can accelerate smoothly out of the corner without losing additional time.