Friends Billy Steele and Jim Tripp were among the first to arrive Friday at Greenwood High School’s parking lot for the Corvette Road Tour.

“We just love Corvettes,” Steele said. “We wanted to get here early. We didn’t want to miss it.”

It is the first time the friends from Piqua, Ohio, who each own a Corvette, have attended the Corvette Homecoming.

“It seemed like something fun to do, something I wanted to experience,” Steele said.

The 32nd annual homecoming began Thursday and continues today. For a full schedule of events, visit www.corvettehomecoming.com.

This is the second year for the road tour, coordinating assistant Jim Van Dorn said. The parade used to go through downtown Bowling Green, but the number of cars began to make that unfeasible, so beginning last year, participants drove through the county. Friday’s road tour, which drew nearly 100 cars, began at the school and ended at the National Corvette Museum.

“People love to be with their car,” Van Dorn said. “That’s the name of the game.”

Patrick Delahoussaye of Nashville came to the Corvette Homecoming for the first time this weekend.

“We just enjoy the camaraderie of all the drivers,” he said. “Everybody seems to have the same like. It’s more than just buying American. It’s part of what we do. It’s like apple pie.”

He’s been a Corvette fan since he was a teenager.

“It’s the true American sports car,” Delahoussaye said. “Anywhere in the U.S., when you mention Bowling Green, (people) know what it stands for.”

Barry Meguiar, the third-generation owner of the car polish brand Meguir’s Inc., served as the road tour’s grand marshal and will give a seminar at 1 p.m. today. He said he’s proud to be in town for his first Corvette Homecoming.

“It’s a wonderful event and a pleasure to be here,” he said. “It’s just fantastic. … I don’t know if I love the cars more or the people more. Probably the people. It’s the interaction between the cars and the people.”

Frank Deering drove down from Columbus, Ohio, in his Corvette to be part of the weekend’s festivities.

“Ever since I was in high school I wanted a Corvette,” he said. “It’s an icon.”

He painted an American flag on his Corvette, the second car in the parade after Meguiar’s.

“It’s quite an honor. It really is,” he said.

Betty Malone came to the homecoming with a group from the Corvette Club in Muscle Shoals, Ala., where she lives.

“This is our fourth year, and we love it,” she said. “We love the scenery, we love the people and the atmosphere. We just love taking road trips in our Corvettes. We enjoy them. We don’t stick them in a garage.”

She and her husband have owned five Corvettes over the years.

“Me, myself, I like the speed,” Malone said. 

— Laurel Wilson covers faith and general assignments for the Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/FaithinBG or visit bgdailynews.com.