LAS VEGAS – Technically there was nowhere for Matt Kenseth to go but down in Sunday’s Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but nobody could have expected him to go from first to worst.

After winning at Daytona and California to start the 2009 Sprint Cup season, Kenseth’s bid for an unprecedented third straight victory was over almost before it started and he finished 43rd-last.

“Something busted in there,” Kenseth said of the engine in the No. 17 Ford. “It’s disappointing we didn’t get to race today. … It’s just something that happens every now and again and it’s just unfortunate it happened to us today.”

Kenseth started 40th after a disappointing qualifying effort. After Brad Keselowski hit the wall, cut a tire and spun out just after completing a lap, Kenseth took advantage of the caution to come to pit road and have his crew check under the hood.

Kenseth went back on the track but just after the restart, on Lap 7, Kenseth’s car began spewing white smoke and he headed for the garage.

He was done.

“First is better than last, that’s for sure” Kenseth joked after climbing from his car. It was only the second time in 331 Cup races that Kenseth had finished 43rd. The other time was the final race in 2003 at Homestead, Fla., when Kenseth had already clinched that year’s championship .

“It broke right away,” Kenseth said of Sunday’s failure. “I can’t really speculate what it is. It quit making power and started sounding funny. You know when something is wrong.”

Something went wrong for David Ragan, Kenseth’s Roush Fenway Racing teammate, when his engine blew on Lap 74. It was reminiscent of when a pair of Hendrick Motorsports drivers-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin-had engine issues during last week’s race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

“When you’re pushing the issue and trying to get all of the power you can out of it, things like this happen,” Ragan said.

Kenseth said he didn’t know how to feel after such a quick end to his third race after winning the first two.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever dropped out on Lap 1 before,” said Kenseth, whose worst previous finish at Las Vegas had been 20th. “It’s never really easy. It was a pretty long weekend for nothing. It’s disappointing no matter what. I am glad we did great the first two weeks, but, really, you take it one week at a time and shift your focus to that race each week.”

Kenseth came into the race leading the standings, of course, but this finish dropped him into a tie for third, 40 points behind leader Jeff Gordon .