Crowning achievement: Kyle Busch to be honored in Las Vegas

First the stock car drivers, then the cowboys.

As the National Finals Rodeo prepares to make its 10-day run at the Thomas & Mack Center on Thursday, NASCAR drivers will be all over Las Vegas, from a junior high school to the Strip, beginning today.

The festivities start with Sprint Cup champion and Las Vegas native Kyle Busch visiting Lawrence Junior High to meet with students in a robotics class and discuss NASCAR's youth education program.

The events continue Wednesday with an eight-hour program, "Live at The LINQ," beginning at 10 a.m. Sprint Cup drivers will stop by throughout the free event and interact with the public.

Simultaneously on Fremont Street, the NASCAR FanFest will be held at the Third Street Stage.

On Thursday, the NASCAR Victory Lap returns at 3:30 p.m. with NASCAR vehicles driving Las Vegas Boulevard South from the Miracle Mile. The best places to watch are at the Spring Mountain Road and Harmon Avenue intersections, where drivers are expected to perform a few "burnouts."

The event ends Friday with the Sprint Cup Awards ceremony scheduled for 5 p.m. at Wynn Las Vegas. Busch, who came from early-season injuries to win the series title last weekend in Florida, will likely receive a few more awards.

Just know that this would be a bad week to try to pass a car with big numbers while driving on the Strip.