Let the Party Begin.(50th model year of Corvette, "America's sports car")(Brief Article)

Every milestone, whether pinnacle or petty, seems to elicit a swell of enthusiasm and its share of consumerism. It's the American way. The 50th model year of the Corvette, long known as ``America's sports car,'' cannot be an exception. So call this the Corvette Summer, though the official celebration will last well into next year.

With events and parties planned through next summer, enthusiasts will mark the Vette's golden anniversary with a show of emotion that will likely be unrivaled in U.S. automotive history. Unveiled to the public in New York as a Motorama show car in January 1953, the Corvette sums up American grit and endurance with the distinct sound of its rumbling voice. No silhouette mirrors America's aggressive posture quite like Corvette's.

What follows is a list of events scheduled to celebrate the Chevrolet Corvette's 50th anniversary. The scroll is not as comprehensive as it is symbolic. Still, we hope it gives you ideas and leads on formulating your summer travel plans to incorporate some Corvette memories.

* Corvette Paces 86th Indy 500

May 26

Corvette paces Indy for the fifth time since its debut at the Brickyard in 1978. Chevy will run a version virtually identical to the 50th Anniversary Coupe at dealerships this summer, driven by Jim Caviezel. Past Corvette pace cars have been driven by Jim Rathmann in 1978, Chuck Yeager in 1986, Jim Perkins in 1995 and Parnelli Jones in 1998.

* Historic Motorama presented by the National Corvette Museum