What is a Bootleggers Turn?
A bootlegger’s turn, occasionally called a handbrake turn or bootlegger, is an evasive driving maneuver characterized by a quick 180° change in direction. According to legend, the bootlegger’s turn was invented by a legendary moonshine runner turned stock car racer named “Junior” Johnson sometime in the 1930s. Since the production and distribution of homemade whiskey was highly illegal, producers would employ local drivers to carry the finished products in souped-up vehicles. The bootlegger’s turn allowed these drivers to change direction quickly to evade tax revenue agents or local police.
