BELTSVILLE, Md. -- President Bush got behind the wheel of a sports car Friday, dropped it into reverse and executed an escape maneuver during a tour of the Secret Service training center.

Under the watchful eyes of Secret Service experts, according to his spokesman, Bush backed a 2002 Chevrolet Camaro down a practice track and spun 180 degrees at 40 mph. The car continued front-end-first in the same direction -- an evasive maneuver known as the "J turn" that Secret Service drivers might make if they came under attack while ferrying him or other dignitaries.

"It's the first time I'll ever admit to making a J turn," Bush told reporters. Journalists saw almost nothing of his 3 1/2-hour tour, including the maneuver.

Bush also fired several guns during his visit to the unmarked, 493-acre complex outside Washington. The tour gave him a chance to see some of the training that Secret Service personnel go through and learn what to expect if he comes under attack, said Secret Service spokesman Brian Marr. More than two-dozen presidential aides who travel frequently with Bush also viewed the site.