ALBANY n When Kirk Swaney takes his electric racing car out for a test spin, he is used to turning heads.

After all, the sleek yet tiny vehicle looks like it would barely fit a child, let alone a full-grown man. But the car, an exclusive type called a Falcon, fits Swaney like a very tight glove.

Sitting just a few inches off the ground and looking like a black-tipped crimson bullet, Swaney’s racing vehicle can’t help but garner curious looks. He designed the sleek machine himself, and recently tested its mettle at the world-renowned Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, where cars have been racing for decades on the ultra-flat desert floor.

There, Swaney, a technical supervisor at Hewlett-Packard in Corvallis, set the world record for the fastest Electrathon America racing vehicle with a top speed of 89.4 miles per hour.

The cars are actually designed to go as far as possible on limited battery power. Up until now, they have not been raced to test their top speed, but rather the distance they can travel within an hour.

But in September, Swaney and another Electrathon America driver from Washington tested their vehicles at the Bonneville Salt Flats, and Swaney managed to post the top speed. It’s a record he believes other electric vehicles could n and should — beat.

Electrathon America is a non-profit organization emphasizing electric car technology and education. Cars must fit specific design specifications, including weight, use of lead acid batteries, and safety.

Competitions are held around the United States and Swaney often competes in the annual race at Portland International Speedway.

Swaney first became interested in electric cars in 1996, when he was looking for parts to restore a hovercraft and stumbled upon electric car parts instead.

“I got totally sidetracked,” Swaney said.

Ten years later, the hovercraft sits untouched while Swaney’s newest electric car gleams in the afternoon light as it sits in his driveway.

Like most electric car enthusiasts, Swaney has had to build his cars from scratch. He’s created a total of four, but because they’re always works in progress and are constantly being rebuilt, he’s actually “made” many more than that.

The latest one features a fiberglass shell he designed himself, and he now makes and sells the shell to other Electrathon America racers, along with other hard-to-find parts. Although many electric race cars are created for rough and tumble conditions, Swaney’s is nearly spotless, except for some scratches on the underbelly of the nose from the “not-so-flat” salt flats. The car rides so low that any irregularity can scrape up the bottom of the car.

“This car was a practice of my craftsmanship,” he said.

Jeff Moore of Corvallis did the paint job and Bonnie Wallis was the crew chief during the salt flats race.

Swaney compared driving over the salt flats to crossing over packed snow.

“It was exciting,” he said. “It was a lot of fun. There is no way to know what it’s like til you get there.”

Drivers get five runs over a few days during the event, and although one flat tire and some worn-out brakes got in his way, he managed to blast the little red car over the course in record time. The most difficult part of each run, he said, was slowing down with the bicycle hand brake, his only means of stopping other than pulling the plug on the batteries and letting it coast to a halt.

Swaney volunteers his time with students at Corvallis High School who are interested in electric cars and wants to increase awareness of electric car racing in the community. Two CHS students actually helped him design the Falcon. He displayed his car at daVinci Days and has helped students build their own electric cars. He hopes that breaking records will also help spread the word about electric cars.

As for the Bonneville Salt Flats, he’ll probably be back again next year.

“I’ve gotta go defend the record now.”

For more information, go to www.destinyparts.com