(1) A person shall not do either of the following:

  (a) Operate a vehicle upon a highway, or any other place open to the general public, including an area designated for the parking of motor vehicles, in a speed or acceleration contest or drag race or to make a speed record.

  (b) Assist in a violation of subdivision (a).

  (2) The operation of 2 or more vehicles either at speeds in excess of the prima facie lawfully established speed or rapidly accelerating from a common starting point to a speed in excess of the prima facie lawful speed is prima facie evidence of a drag race.

  (3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply within the Silver Lake State Park scramble area.

  (4) As used in this section, “drag race” means the operation of 2 or more vehicles from a point side by side at accelerating speeds in a competitive attempt to out-distance each other over a common selected course or where timing is involved or where timing devices are used in competitive accelerations of speeds by participating vehicles.