To lots of Corvette fans, driving one of their own has been a dream for years - “After you get the children married and the college paid for,” said Steve Honican of Lexington.

He and his wife, Sandy, joined fellow members of the Bluegrass Corvette Club, along with hundreds of other Corvette owners and enthusiasts, for the 13th anniversary celebration of the National Corvette Museum. Three days of events began Thursday, featuring the induction of Corvette racing legend Doug Hooper, C4 consultant and technical specialist Gordon Killebrew, and Project Opal designer Carl Renner into the Hall of Fame; museum tours, music and auctions followed, wrapping up with a dinner for senior members of the museum at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

More than 650 people pre-registered for the event, and 200 more probably signed up at the door, according to Bobbie Jo Lee, marketing and communications manager for the museum. Admission to the museum is regular price, she said.

Hundreds of Corvettes filled the museum's front parking lots on Friday, and the Honicans joined their friends and some of the Bluegrass Corvette Club's other 125 members to sit in the shade near their cars.

“We'll probably have 20 members, 20 cars, when everybody gets here tomorrow,” Steve Honican said. His black 2002 Corvette sat near the black 1960 convertible owned by Bob and Debbie Staton of Winchester, and Ernie and Tracey Richardson of Lexington joined them as well.

“She just picked up a 2008 car,” Steve Honican said, gesturing at the silver model parked nearby.

Parked next to their cars was one of the 10 Corvettes owned by Dave and Liz Borden of Winchester, Honican said; it was a 2003 model that Dave Borden won in a raffle at the museum several years ago.

Yet another of the Bordens' Corvettes sat inside the museum, a black 1957 model at the front of the “Lucky Seven” exhibit.

“He just got through restoring it,” Honican said.

The “Lucky Seven” display includes a model from every year ending in 7 since 1957. Beginning with the Bordens' car, it ends with a yellow 2007 model owned by Tom and Stephanie Vickers of Marietta, Ga.

Bob and Sharon Roehm of Overland Park, Kan., lingered by the Vickers' car Friday afternoon. They'd just toured the factory across the road and were surprised but pleased to discover the anniversary celebration going on, Bob Roehm said.

“Never been down here, and thought it would be a fun chance to do something I've always had an interest in,” he said.

Bob Roehm said he doesn't own a Corvette, but he and others have a chance at it this weekend: Saturday afternoon, a red 2008 coupe will be raffled off for $10 a ticket. Proceeds will go to help pay for the museum's $10 million planned expansion. It will add 47,000 square feet to the existing 69,000-square-foot facility, including a library, cafe, 400-seat conference center, bigger gift shop and room for 50 more cars. Museum director Wendell Strode has said the expansion should open in summer 2009.

(Bowling Green Daily News)