Opposite lock

Opposite lock, also commonly known as countersteer,[1] is a colloquial term used to mean the steering associated with the deliberate use of oversteer to turn a vehicle rapidly without losing momentum.

As the car reaches the bend it will have already turned through most of the needed angle, traveling sideways and losing some speed as a result.

A smooth application of power at this point will accelerate the car into the bend and then through it, gradually removing the sideways component of travel.

For front-wheel drive vehicles, there is much less natural tendency for the rear wheels to break traction because they are not transmitting power, so often such vehicles are set up with a strong bias to the rear brakes, allowing the driver to control traction using the brake pedal.

A related technique is the handbrake turn, in which the rear wheels are deliberately locked in order to break the friction between the tires and the road, allowing the car to be spun around a very tight bend or junction, etc.