A method of controlling a vehicle drive system is provided for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, free-wheeling steerable front wheels, driven rear wheels, an infinitely variable transmission (IVT) transmitting torque from the engine to the rear wheels, and a control unit for controlling the IVT as a function of sensed parameters and supplying a speed command to the IVT for commanding a speed of the rear wheels. The method includes sensing a steering angle of the front wheels, sensing a front wheel speed, sensing a rear wheel speed, generating a corrected estimated vehicle speed as a function of the front wheel speed and the sensed steering angle, and increasing the speed command in response to a comparison between the corrected estimated vehicle speed and the rear wheel speed. The infinitely variable transmission is preferably embodied by a hybrid electric drive system. The estimated vehicle speed value is determined as a function of a gear ratio of a rear wheel drive, the front wheel speed, a rolling radius of the front wheel, a rolling radius of the rear wheel, and the steering angle of the steerable front wheels. The speed command is increased when the rear wheel speed is less than 90% of the corrected estimated vehicle speed.