It hasn't been the best of starts for Kasey Kahne this NASCAR season. Not only did the driver of the No. 9 Evernham Motorsports Dodge crash his primary car during testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in January, he lost his crew chief and was docked 50 driver points after his car failed post-qualifying inspection before the Daytona 500 three weeks ago. Now his 2-year-old qualifying record at LVMS will fall Friday because the track was repaved and its degree of banking was increased. Photo by The Associated Press

No record holder wants to lose his place in history.

It can be disconcerting to know that a best-ever performance soon will be obliterated.

Kasey Kahne is in that position.

The Nextel Cup driver has held the qualifying record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for two years. He knows the numbers will change after Friday when teams attempt to make the field for Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400.

"The only way I'll keep (a record) is to set a new record or to get the race snowed out or rained out," Kahne said Tuesday. "It's going to get broken by a ways."

Kahne and the other Cup drivers tested at the speedway two months ago, turning their first laps on the 1.5-mile tri-oval since banking was increased in corners from 12 percent to 20 percent and more than a mile of the surface was repaved.

The changes turned the sluggish track into one of the fastest 1.5-mile circuits in NASCAR.

Elliott Sadler's best lap of 188.772 mph on the second day of testing was 14 mph better than Kahne's record of 174.904 mph.

Kahne ran a fastest lap on the first day at 184.685 mph. But on the second day, Kahne and four other drivers crashed.

The higher speeds and uncertainty with tire reliability led Goodyear to commit to sending different left-side tires for this weekend. NASCAR also reduced the capacity of fuel cells from 18 to 13 gallons.

"The (smaller) fuel cells will help the most because you won't be able to run as long on a set of tires and (the tires) won't build up as much heat," said Kahne, who won a series-best six times last year.

The crash during testing cost Kahne and his No. 9 Evernham Motorsports team their most successful Dodge from last year.

The team's luck didn't improve a few weeks later as it prepared to open the season at Daytona International Speedway.

Kahne's team was one of five caught violating NASCAR rules before the race. His crew chief, Kenny Francis, was fined $50,000 and suspended for four races. Kahne was docked 50 driver points.

NASCAR failed the car in post-qualifying inspection after tape came off holes on the oil tank and right-rear wheelhouse, where a hose would run during race conditions.

"Losing Kenny was one thing, but the 50 points is another," said Kahne, who is in 32nd place heading into the Las Vegas race.

The deduction of points before the season started was unprecedented for NASCAR.

"Starting 50 behind before Daytona was a big deal. We're just trying to get out of that hole."

Kahne will race without Francis this weekend.