When you’re in Daytona for two-weeks, there are a lot of things that transpire which can get overlooked. Not intentionally mind you, but more so because of the enormity of everything that’s going on around you.

For me, this was the first time in my career where I’ve covered Speedweeks from the outset. As I look back, I’m amazed at everything that took place in the span of 14 days.

In a two-week period we saw drivers topping 200 mph, which NASCAR quickly fixed with a series of rule changes they seemingly called for on the fly, after Dale Earnhardt Jr. blistered to the 500 pole, there were whispers NASCAR was fixed, steering wheels coming off during qualifying laps, Danica Patrick actually leading and looking somewhat competent driving a stockcar, a surprise winner, big names wrecking big, and of course the 10-year anniversary of the death of Dale Earnhardt.

So as I flip through my notebook, here are some things I’ve neglected to shed much, or any, light on these two-and-a-half weeks.

►Outside of Trevor Bayne for obvious reasons, there may not have been a driver who impressived more folks in the garage than Regan Smith. Smith quickly mastered the two-car tandem drafting, so much so, he played a pivotal role in pushing Kurt Busch to victory in the first Gatorade Duel. In Sunday’s 500, Smith was the guy everyone wanted to work with and if it weren’t for a late-race scrap, it might have been the 27-year-old driver pulling the upsets of all upsets.

Instead, like he has for most of his career, Smith slipped under the radar of the public and finished a quiet eighth, his first career top-10 finish. One would think this might open the door for some bigger opportunities. I even talked to an owner Sunday morning who made it a point to mention Smith by name as a driver who he would like to see behind the wheel of one of his racecars.

However, the way things are shaping up, it may be awhile before he lands with a big team.

As it’s been noted by me and others, there’s a glut of marquee drivers whose contracts are up at the end of the season. My thought is because Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin and others will get most of the attention, and because of the shortage of rides with a big team that will be available, Smith will likely once again get lost in the shuffle.

►Following the conclusion of a race, it’s customary for NASCAR to bring the second- and third-place finishers into the media center to answer questions. This was no different Sunday, as both Carl Edwards and David Gilliland came after the 500 to field questions from the throng of reporters.

Not surprisingly, Edwards was the more sought-after driver of the two, due to his near-win along with his relationship with winner Trevor Bayne. By my count the Roush Fenway driver was asked almost 20 questions, while the guy sitting to his left got all of five.

As I sat there listening to Edwards and Gilliland speak, it dawned on me how difficult it must be for Gilliland to be in the position that he now finds himself in.

It wasn’t too long ago, after a stunning Nationwide Series win at Kentuck,y that it was he who was one of the more coveted young drivers in NASCAR and the apple of Ford’s eye.

After evaluating his many suitors, the California driver elected to sign a Sprint Cup contract with Robert Yates Racing, which was in the midst of trying to pull itself out of a tailspin. Much like the situation in recent years the Wood Brothers have found themselves in.

Yet unlike Trevor Bayne, Gilliland wasn’t able to restore Yates Racing to the lofty heights it once experienced and the team continued to slide towards mediocrity and eventually irrelevance. When sponsorship couldn’t be found, the former Daytona 500 polesitter was cut loose prior to the 2009 season.

Since then, if Gilliland wanted to race, he had to take rides with small, underfunded teams. Much like the one he was driving for on Sunday, Front Row Motorsports.

Of course, it’s only fitting that on the day of his finest moment in NASCAR, another driver was taking the spotlight and all the headlines that come with winning the Daytona 500. But being overlooked is a position Gilliland has grown accustomed to the last couple of years.

►It doesn’t happen often, but Jimmie Johnson was a virtual non-factor in Daytona. He finished a quiet 11th in his Duel race and consequently started mid-pack in the 500, which played a role in Johnson getting caught up in the same wreck that collected Hendrick teammates Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin.

More importantly, it speaks volumes to the struggles the 48 team has had in the 500 since winning the “Great American Race” in 2006. In the five years since, Johnson has finished 39th, 27th, 31st, 35th, and this season, 27th in NASCAR’s biggest race.

Maybe it’s because the 48 focuses more on the Chase and winning the championship than anything else, but you get the sense that doing well in the 500 isn’t of grave importance as it is to some other teams. Plus, it’s hard to argue with an approach that has won him the last five championships.

Nonetheless, it would be nice if Johnson would come to Daytona and make his presence felt from the Shootout to the Duels to the 500. But as we saw this year, with a lot of big names running into problems, that’s always easier said than done.

►As we saw last season when Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second, a strong performance in the 500 doesn’t necessarily equate to NASCAR’s most popular driver having a good year, as he slumped to a 21st in the yearend standings.

But finishing 24th like Earnhardt did, can be a double punch to the stomach for the 88 team. This team is going to need all the points it can get if it wants to qualify for the Chase. When they don’t score a top-10 finish at Daytona, a track where they’re expected to contend, it puts them in a hole that’s going to be awfully tough to dig out of with how Earnhardt has performed as of late on the intermediate tracks.

If there is good news involving Dale Earnhardt Jr., it’s that his relationship with new crew chief Steve Letarte appears to be coming together. Letarte has quickly injected some much-needed confidence into his driver, as was evident in listening to radio conversations between the two.

When Earnhardt crashed in last Wednesday’s practice and destroyed his primary car for the 500, Letarte was on the radio immediately telling Earnhardt that their backup was just as fast and there was no need to worry, and that they would be strong on Sunday. Which proved to be correct as the 88 quickly sped to the front and was in contention for the win before another accident ended their day prematurely.

Although it’s early and things won’t change if a turnaround isn’t forthcoming, the relationship between driver and crew chief is a far cry from what we’ve heard the last two seasons between when Earnhardt was terse and combative with former crew chiefs Tony Eury Jr., and Lance McGrew.

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