Lance McIntosh, SPAX's secretary-treasurer and one of its founders, says the setup is simple. Organizers build a closed course, usually about half a mile, and drivers try to post the best time they can.
SPAX holds five events a year starting in April and skips July and August because of the heat. The group has run in the rain too, and McIntosh says everybody needs to learn to drive in it.
Entry is easy. Drivers must be at least 18 and need only a standard license. Nervous drivers can have an instructor ride along. Each event caps at 50 drivers, and vehicles must be wider than they are tall to stay stable on the course.
McIntosh says SPAX opposes street racing and says the skills could save a life. If you're on the loop and somebody cuts you off, he says, you can make an evasive maneuver and survive. The same goes for hydroplaning. When your tires start sliding, he says, you'll know what to do.
The season just ended, so the next chance to test your tires comes in April at the YWCA near 65th Street and University Avenue.