Authors Randy Leffingwell (left) and Mike Mueller joke with patrons as they sign books Friday at the National Corvette Museum. The NCM's 20th anniversary has drawn approximately 10,000 people from all over the country and the world and thousands of Corvettes. (Miranda Pederson/Daily News)

Jerry Pelton loves Corvettes.

He loves them so much that he purchased a home in Bowling Green to be near the National Corvette Museum. He also lives in Panama City, Fla., and is retired from the U.S. Navy.

“We’ve been coming here since 1996. We used to come in a motor home. We came and stayed five months in 2014,” Pelton said of he and his wife, Julianna. “My wife said, ‘Are we going to be doing this?’ We sold our motor home and bought a home. Me and my wife are lifetime members (of the museum).”

Pelton goes to the museum and the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park almost daily.

“I do a lot of volunteer hours. I do whatever they need doing, from packing goodie bags for car shows to putting dirt from the sinkhole in jars to sell. I did 1,000 of those,” he said. “I do touring laps at the Motorsports Park. I do a lot of the paperwork. I get stuff ready for car events.”

Pelton and Corvette enthusiasts like him will converge on Bowling Green for the 22nd annual National Corvette Museum Anniversary Celebration, which will be Thursday through Saturday at the museum at 350 Corvette Drive. Admission is $30 for nonmembers and $20 for members. Lifetime members receive free admission.

“We’re expecting a little more than 500 people. Bowling Green is the only place in the world where Corvettes are made. The museum has events each week to enjoy. Many people consider Bowling Green to be a second home and very much look forward to coming back to visit each year, if not more than once a year,” said Katie Frassinelli, marketing and communications manager at the museum. “Corvette enthusiasts are like a big family and when they gather at the museum, it’s like a big family reunion. We like to roll out the red carpet for them.”

Road tours start at 9 a.m. and are staggered throughout Thursday.

“We’’ll lead a group of Corvettes to eat and sight see,” Frassinelli said.

People can get a glimpse of the 2017 Corvette, its options and features from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. Thursday.

“Some will be on display so we’ll do a walk around,” Frassinelli said. “They can sit in them.”

Inductees to be recognized as part of the 19th annual Corvette Hall of Fame Ceremony are Bob Bondurant in the category of Racing; Ralph Kramer in the category of GM/Chevrolet; and the late Donna Mae Mims in the category of Enthusiast. The banquet is at 6:15 p.m. Friday.

“Two of the three will be there and do seminars,” Frassinelli said.

People can drive laps in their own cars at the Motorsports Park from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. Cost is $50 for unlimited laps.

Bondurant, a former race car driver who opened the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving after he was injured, will speak from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. Friday.

Roundtable discussions are Friday and Saturday. The racing discussion is from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Friday. The enthusiast discussion is from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday. The GM/Chevrolet discussion is from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

“We’ve invited all previous inductees to come and have a roundtable discussion,” Frassinelli said. “People can ask them questions. It always makes for a good discussion.”

Andy Pilgrim, former driver for Corvette Racing and Cadillac, will conduct a safety seminar about distracted driving from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday.

“It will be a great one. Parents and teachers may want to go to it,” Frassinelli said. “From the time you turn around their rear-facing car seats they’re watching you. If you take out your cell phone (while driving) they think if mom does it it must be OK.”

Pelton believes the museum is a great place.

“They do great things from little kids to big kids like me. They do stuff for the community. The museum is one of Bowling Green’s biggest assets,” he said. “Adding the Motorsports Park was a dream come true for Corvette enthusiasts like me. When you get on the track you can exceed the speed limit and it’s legal.

“I love Corvettes, and I love the museum,” he said. “I’m willing to do whatever I can to help keep them going.” 

— Follow features reporter Alyssa Harvey on Twitter @bgdnfeatures or visit bgbgdailynews.com.