Chevrolet Corvette 70th Indy 500 May 25, 1986 1986 marked the return of the convertible to the Corvette line-up, and the return of the Corvette to Indianapolis. As with the first Corvette pace car in 1978, the 1986 Corvette needed no mechanical modifications to pace the race. In fact it was the first street-legal car to pace Indy since the previous Corvette. Test pilot and retired Air Force General Chuck Yeager was selected to drive the Indy pace car. Chevrolet did not issue a specific pace car replica but instead designated all 7,315 1986 convertibles to be Pace Car Replicas, regardless of color, and included decal packages to be installed by the dealer or customer.