CHEYENNE — A caravan of Corvettes took over southern Wyoming and Cheyenne last week, with one sports car owner getting a taste of Cowboy State hospitality.
It was all for the Pacific Central National Corvette Caravan, a group of Chevrolet Corvette enthusiasts from Western states that gather every five years to travel across the country together to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, to celebrate the anniversary of the museum. Bowling Green is also where all new Corvettes are assembled.
“Whether they were from California or Cody, they made their way to Cheyenne to start their voyage,” said Dallas Tyrrell, who hosted the caravan at his car dealership.
At Tyrrell Chevrolet in Cheyenne, around 500 Corvettes dotted the parking lot for a breakfast the dealership put on for the group. Some of this collection included very rare Corvettes like the 1958 model, which is rarely seen traveling across the country.
“Anytime we can do something to show Cheyenne off, we’re going to do it, especially if it involves Corvettes,” Tyrrell said.
Wyoming Lends A Hand
When California resident Don Herzer, leader of the caravan, made it to Cheyenne, he suffered a major right front tire blowout on his ZR1 Corvette, resulting in the two front tires having to be replaced so he could continue on his voyage.
Tyrrell had to special-order new tires, and the replacements were going to take two days to arrive, creating a significant delay for Herzer.
But Cheyenne resident Alex Aragon happened to be getting his ZR1 serviced at the dealership at the same time Herzer was figuring out what to do. Aragon saw the predicament Herzer was in and gave him the tires off his own Corvette in return for the tires that were coming in the mail for Herzer.
Aragon told Cowboy State Daily the situation reminded him of the classic motorcycle phrase that you never leave a fellow biker behind.
“It felt like the thing to do,” he said.
Aragon himself traveled in his 2021 ZR1 to the National Corvette Museum last year. Driving across the country in the two-seater is an exciting experience, and in his Vette, much more comfortable than one might think.
Besides the quick pick-up speed of the sports car and incredible handling, Aragon also said there’s a certain performative factor that also comes with driving a Corvette across the country.
“I think a lot of people enjoy the attention,” he said.
It’s also less costly than some might think as his Corvette averages about 31 mpg.
The Pacific Central National Corvette Caravan stopped in Cheyenne at Tyrrell Chevrolet, bringing hundreds of Corvettes on a cross-country drive to the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky. (Courtesy Photo) 
The Pacific Central National Corvette Caravan stopped in Cheyenne at Tyrrell Chevrolet, bringing hundreds of Corvettes on a cross-country drive to the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky. (Courtesy Photo) 
The Pacific Central National Corvette Caravan stopped in Cheyenne at Tyrrell Chevrolet, bringing hundreds of Corvettes on a cross-country drive to the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky. (Courtesy Photo) 
The Pacific Central National Corvette Caravan stopped in Cheyenne at Tyrrell Chevrolet, bringing hundreds of Corvettes on a cross-country drive to the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky. (Courtesy Photo) 
Corvettes roll into Bowling Green, Kentucky, and the National Corevette Museum. (National Corvette Museum via Facebook) 
Corvettes roll into Bowling Green, Kentucky, and the National Corevette Museum. (National Corvette Museum via Facebook) 
The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. (National Corvette Museum via Facebook) 
The route of the 2024 Pacific Central National Corvette Caravan. (Courtesy Photo)
Corvette Culture
Seeing all the Corvettes in his dealership parking lot, representing almost every year’s model, was breathtaking, Tyrrell said.
The Corvette is seen by many as the perennial American sports car. The car is still evolving today and competes head-to-head with more expensive exotic cars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis for performance.
“It’s just an icon, an iconic American car,” Tyrrell said.
Tyrrell Chevrolet is the largest Corvette dealer in Wyoming, and one of the largest in the Rocky Mountain region. The dealership, which is 86 years old, has sold every generation of the famous model.
Tyrrell said he previously owned a Corvette, but it was a little too fast for his driving tendencies.
Aragon, who owns five Corvettes himself said it was an incredible experience being around so many aficionados of the same car.
“I got to meet some very cool people,” he said.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
