A break-away lug nut positioner for holding lug nuts on a race car wheel to facilitate more rapid tire changes during pit stops. The break-away lug nut positioner includes a spacer that supports a lug nut at a proper distance over a mounting hole of a race car wheel. That is, the spacer holds the lug nut so that it is adjacent to a threaded mounting stud when the wheel is held flush against the race car hub. During installation, the lug nut is driven into the spacer cavity, forcing the spacer to break into pieces. The adhesive bond between the lug nut and the spacer is weaker than the individual pieces of the spacer, which causes the spacer to separate cleanly from the lug nut, allowing the lug nut to seat properly against the wheel mounting plate. That is, the adhesive and the material and configuration of the spacer are selected so that the spacer breaks cleanly away from the lug nut, and no spacer material remains between the lug nut and the mounting plate.