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A bootleg turn is a radical type of U-turn intended to reverse the direction of travel of a forward-moving Automobile by 180 degrees in a minimum amount of time while staying within the width of a two-lane road. This maneuver is also known as a ''handbrake turn'' or simply as a ''bootlegger''. The turn is performed by putting the vehicle quickly into Second Gear and turning the wheel hard toward the opposite lane (e.g. to the left in countries where traffic drives on the right hand side of the road.) If performed correctly, the vehicle will enter a controlled skid, turn completely around and into roughly the opposite lane. In a perfect bootleg turn, the car will be at a complete stop at the end of the maneuver and ready to depart at high speed. Contrast this with a similar, and perhaps safer direction-reversing maneuver called a Moonshiner's Turn , or ''J-Turn'', which begins instead with a ''stationary'' automobile accelerating straight ''backward'' for a few seconds before the steering wheel is turned quickly to complete a skidded 180 degree turn. The 1999 Guinness World Record for the "Narrowest J-Turn" is 172 cm. Neither turn is without risk, as they both have a serious chance of causing the vehicle to roll over and crash or causing serious damage to the vehicle's tires, gearbox or other mechanical elements. There is very high risk of a fatal crash during this maneuver. The name of the turn originates from the Prohibition era of the United States , when Bootleggers transporting illegal liquor would use the maneuver to escape from police officers. Bootleggers were notorious for using modified high-speed cars to transport their goods, and using daring driving maneuvers to escape authorities. The man credited with inventing the bootlegger turn is Robert Glenn "Junior" Johnson , who ran liquor from his father's still and who went on to become an accomplished stock car racer. Classic bootleg turns can only be performed on cars with a manual transmission. However, vehicles with an automatic transmission can be modified to make a bootlegger possible. This is most commonly done for stunt vehicles used in motion pictures. Cars with a handbrake on the rear wheels can enter a controlled turning skid by employing the handbrake, locking the wheels and turning the steering wheel sharply in either direction. This maneuver can also be called a bootleg turn. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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