59?

Higher

It was over 80. That was back before NASCAR sh*t the bed.

Yes - 84 entered & 79 actually took time either in round 1 or 2. Back then, there was a round 1 that locked in the top 20 (standard for all Cup races). Then round 2 locked in the rest of the field & a few provisionals were added to get to the 43 starters.

Amazing to think how far both that event & the sport of Nascar as a whole has declined in recent years. I attended the first several Brickyards & attended day 2 quals in year 1. Just that took like 3 hours. The whole thing was an amazing event to see.

I’d answer but I’ll let another. I was at the first race. There where enough entries to run two full race fields with 43 cars.

We attended the very first NASCAR tire test at The Speedway the Monday after Fathers Day 1992. It was obvious that this test was in preparation of the first Brickyard in 1994. We drove down to Indy from Michigan where we'd attended the NASCAR race up there the day before. The Speedway was expecting just a few hundred people and only opened a section or two of what was then the infield stands behind the pits. Needless to say they had to open up a few more sections. Traffic was backed up both ways trying to get through the south tunnel into the infield. I still have a T-shirt commemorating that very first tire test. The concessionaires ran out of food early on not expecting as large of a crowd as was on hand.

The very first stock car on the track that day in June of '92 was the #2 car of Rusty Wallace. The NASCAR teams pushed the cars from the garage area and Gasoline Alley onto pit road in what later was described as their way of showing respect for the long standing traditions of the open wheel cars at Indianapolis.

We also attended the first Brickyard 400. Those of us who were part of the Indy 500 ticket system got first chance at stock car tickets. The place was packed like we'd never seen it before.

Rick Mast was the pole winner. Rick is a bit of a sad story. He became very sick in '02 or '03 and was forced to quit racing due to what was eventually diagnosed as cumulative carbon monoxide poisoning. Mast was instrumental in implementing the ducting of fresh air to the driver helmet. Mast implored Bill France Jr. to make driver fresh air systems mandatory.

I remember Earnhardt wanted so badly to lead the first lap of the first Brickyard that he hit the wall coming off of turn 4 on the first lap and was never a factor after that. After the race Earnhardt was asked about what it meant to race at Indy and, not surprisingly, he was a bit smug, passing it off as just another race. He sang a different tune the next year when he finally won it. I believe young upstart Jeff Gordon beating Earnhardt for the very first Brickyard victory (among other things) irked Earnhardt 'till his dying day.

The early years of NASCAR at Indy were huge. The crowds were noticeably bigger than for the 500. After the NASCAR bloom went off the rose it's become painfully obvious that NASCAR should never been allowed to race at The Speedway. The Brickyard has become an embarrassment to all involved.

Your description of your attendance among the 20,000 or so who showed up for the tire test, the first race, and the quote above lead me to think that you fit this quote from Bob Jenkins:

“There were a lot of traditionalists who just didn’t want it to happen,” said Bob Jenkins, a former television and radio announcer for ESPN, ABC and NBC, who did the television broadcast for the first Brickyard 400. “The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was for the Indy 500. It was just an intrusion into the tradition for the Speedway to have these cars. On the other hand, they probably bought tickets for it.”

The Brickyard 400 has certainly lost the luster it originally had. However, without it, the IndyCar series probably wouldn’t exist. Profits from the Brickyard race have been used throughout its history to offset the millions in losses of the IRL/IndyCar series. That’s not a criticism of the IndyCar series, just a reality of their finances.

I had JPM but didn’t have the second driver. My guess was going to be Sam Hornish.

At the time I was as excited as anyone that NASCAR was being allowed to race at The Speedway. Although, looking back it should have been obvious that stock car racing at The Speedway would be a veritable bore. And it is. As with most folks, hindsight transforms me into an expert but that doesn't change the fact that following the novelty and honeymoon stock cars at Indy are, and likely always will be, a bit detrimental to the image of all involved.

Please forgive the skepticism of unsubstantiated fiscal assertions.

I apologize for the temporary thread hijack.

Wiki sez 85 entered (& "70 attempts completed")...I switched the 5 with a 9 but meant 8...NOT...was barely awake & took a guess just to get involved...lol. My #s were clouded, with the recent 36/37 car Cup fields (sad). But ya, I knew better...gona blame it on not having a morning Monster or NOS energy drink...lol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Brickyard_400