NASCAR mailbag: Did Daniel Suarez really lose his Subway sponsorship because he handed out donuts to fans?

Explaining why Subway yanked its sponsorship of Daniel Suarez, plus questions on Jimmie Johnson’s bid for a record eighth championship, and more.

Each week SB Nation's NASCAR reporter Jordan Bianchi answers your questions about the latest news and happenings within the sport. If you have a future mailbag question, email jordanmbianchi@gmail.com.

Did Daniel Suarez seriously lose his Subway sponsorship because he gave out free donuts to fans? There is more to this, right? That seems like a very petty reason for a sponsor to leave.

--Paul

This is not a story The Onion crafted. Subway really pulled its sponsorship of Daniel Suarez because the rookie driver took part in a televised NBC Sports segment where he handed out Dunkin’ Donuts to fans at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July.

Subway believed Suarez was promoting a competitor — both companies make breakfast sandwiches — and therefore he violated the terms of his contract. But it’s not as clear-cut as a simple misstep by a young driver, who perhaps should’ve been more mindful.

Multiple sources confirmed to SB Nation Subway executives had discussions on disassociating itself with Suarez and Joe Gibbs Racing as far back as early this summer and had even engaged in discussions with other teams. And after executives saw the video, they had an out handed to them on a six-inch hoagie roll as to why they should sever the relationship.

What defies logic is why Subway would go this route and publicly yank its sponsorship when it only had one race remaining (Oct. 15 at Talladega Superspeedway). The decision created considerable backlash, ultimately drawing negative attention to a topic that wouldn’t have existed had the company not publicly disclosed it. How everything unfolded is a textbook example on how to turn a rather small story into something far greater and, in the process, come out looking incredibly foolish.

With Hendrick struggling, should we write off Jimmie Johnson winning an eighth championship? I don’t hate Jimmie like most everyone, but I don’t know if I’m ready for him to win another championship and have the record all to himself.

--Molly

It’s never a good idea to discount Johnson’s title chances. Such a lesson should’ve been learned a year ago when he, Chad Knaus and the No. 48 team transformed from ordinary during the majority of the regular season to world-beaters once the postseason commenced.

Whether a similar metamorphosis occurs this postseason remains to be seen, though it would be no surprise if Johnson again makes a deep playoff run; swooning during the summer months, then flipping a switch come the fall has long been a No. 48 team characteristic.

Of course, Johnson challenging for a record-breaking eighth championship is predicated on Hendrick Motorsports snapping out of its recent organize-wide slump.

As evident by Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chase Elliott, and Kasey Kahne combing for just two top-10 finishes and 11 laps led over the past five races, the team’s Chevrolets lacking speed. Consistently Hendrick is getting outrun by the JGR and Furniture Row Racing Toyotas, which Earnhardt said is not a Hendrick-specific issue more so related to the manufacturer.

But if Hendrick can close the gap in the playoffs similar to last year, the 10-race postseason sets up incredibly well for Johnson, whose four winningest tracks are all upcoming. And though he may not be one of the favorites, he’ll likely play a central role and not someone other the competition wants to go against in the championship round.

I don’t agree with you about Austin Cindric; I think he should’ve at least tried to pass Kaz Grala before putting a bumper on him. But I do agree with you that NASCAR has created a system where drivers have little choice but to do whatever it takes to win because it could mean the difference between winning and losing a championship. So two questions: 1) Do you think this win-at-all-costs mentality will ever change and 2) Is this a good thing for NASCAR? To me it almost feels like pro hockey in the 1970s when fighting became bigger than the actual games.

--Matt

As long as winning virtually guarantees qualifying for the postseason and a playoff wins means automatic transfer to the next bracket, drivers will continue to have the proverbial carrot in front of their faces where they must do whatever it takes to win. Be it laying the bumper to a competitor on the final lap or attempting to intentionally bring out a caution to help maintain one’s position in the running order.

Whether having drivers race unfettered is a good thing largely depends on how far NASCAR is willing to allow full-contact racing where guys are incentivized to go hard for the win. If suddenly the majority of races are being decided by drivers deliberately wrecking each other — much like how fighting took over in hockey in the 1970s — then some officials may need to rein things in.

Let’s remember, though, it’s not as if last-lap incidents involving the leaders are now commonplace. While the Cindric-Grala, Joey Logano-Matt Kenseth incidents may have generated many headlines, these are both examples of the extremes drivers are willing to go to in a knockout playoff format not what does happen on a weekly basis. And it’s not as if drivers crashing one another to win is suddenly a new thing, these kinds of dustups are part of NASCAR’s fabric. (See: Earnhardt, Dale; Donny Allison vs. Cale Yarborough, 1979 Daytona 500.)