Another Daytona 500 is in the books. For all that this year's edition wasn't, there were still several things it was, even in its rain-soaked state.
It was a race that lasted just nine laps -- or 22.5 miles -- longer than halfway, yet provided a considerable amount of action between the raindrops that ultimately spelled its premature end.
It was a race that didn't have the mandatory multi-car pileup that is typical of Daytona, Ryan Newman's spectacular flip notwithstanding.
It was a race of either early exits or disappointing finishes, one that, among other things, spoiled the hopes of Ward Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte and Jeff Green among others.
Plenty of surprises
Surprises continued to be one of the most prevalent factors Sunday at Daytona.
Perhaps the biggest surprise, at least from the final order, was the resurgence of Kevin Harvick, who wound up fourth. Harvick and teammate Robby Gordon, who finished sixth, showed that their qualifying efforts were not flukes. While Sunday was just one race out of 36, both of their finishes bode well for the major resurrection at Richard Childress Racing.
Two other surprises in the top-10 were Jeremy Mayfield and Mike Wallace, who ended up eighth and ninth, respectively.
And what about Kyle Petty? He turned a car that qualified 28th into a respectable 13th-place ride. Petty's effort backed up what he said a month ago about how excited he was over the team's off-season work.
The top dark horse performance Sunday belongs to a pair of drivers: Wallace and rookie Jack Sprague.
Wallace, who only has a deal for a handful of races this season, made the most of the funding and equipment he has, earning over $215,000 for his ninth-place showing. In addition to the dollars Wallace has in hand, Sunday's earnings should keep his season going for several more races, not to mention helping to lure additional sponsorship.
Sprague, meanwhile, was not only the highest-finishing rookie in the field at 14th, he also was the highest-finishing Pontiac, too. Sprague could be staking his spot as the most surprising rookie in 2003.
Conversely, other rookies did not fare as well. Biffle, came in 21st, followed by Casey Mears (27th), Jamie McMurray (31st), Tony Raines (33rd) and Christian Fittipaldi (35th).
The Dodge brass can't be too happy that four of the last six drivers Sunday were driving Intrepids, all of which suffered early departures due to crashes.
More questions
Now, what will Sunday's finish mean in the whole scheme of things?
Will Newman be able to do what Tony Stewart did after last season's opener? Stewart finished last at Daytona and then went on to be crowned champion at season's end.
With the work that team owner Joe Gibbs oversaw during the offseason, will Labonte be able to shake off his disappointment and give teammate Stewart a serious challenge this season?
Will Earnhardt Jr. use the hype and resulting disappointment and turn it into a motivating effort? One thing about Earnhardt: when he suffers adversity, he usually comes back determined to avenge.
Will drivers like rookie Larry Foyt be able to shake off the disappointment of failing to qualify for Sunday's race and come back with a respectable showing this weekend at Rockingham, N.C.?
Will Burton, Green, Jimmy Spencer, Ken Schrader and Newman all be able to forget about their own early departures and perform well at the Rock?
As I sit back and try to take in everything that happened during Speedweeks and in Sunday's abbreviated race, and try to forecast the future, I'm left with just one thought:
It appears everyone left Daytona with just as many questions about the future as they had two weeks ago.
Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com.
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