It's a good thing Sterling Marlin's car is sponsored by a beer company.

With the way Marlin and his No. 40 Dodge team have performed of late, Marlin could use a drink -- or two -- to lament his woes.

	Sterling Marlin has posted three consecutive finishes outside of the top-20.

Martin has gone from being king of the mountain -- leading the standings for 25 consecutive races -- to watching his championship hopes start to teeter on the edge of that same cliff. In less than three weeks, Marlin has dropped from first to fourth, and heading into Sunday's Protection One 400 at Kansas Speedway sits 91 points behind Mark Martin.

You can't help but sympathize with Marlin. He's spent a career trying to prove he belonged on top. Yet until Chip Ganassi came along two years ago to purchase the majority share of Felix Sabates' team, Marlin had a reputation as a journeyman racer.

Such a distinction wasn't due to any lack of talent. No, the son of legendary racer Coo Coo Marlin had racing in his genes. Unfortunately, matching his bloodline with the types of teams that could get him to the championship dance year after year just never seemed to work.

But when Ganassi took over, Marlin was reborn. He suddenly found himself right where he's wanted to be, racing with the big boys. He finally was able to put his talent together with a team that had the resources to go all the way to the top.

That's where Marlin was for 25 weeks, for nearly seven months and more than two-thirds of the season, from February's race at Rockingham, N.C., to the September event in Richmond, Va. But since finishing last at Richmond three weeks ago and finishing 21st in the last two races at Loudon, N.H., and Dover, Del., Marlin finds himself in his worst slump of the season.

And it couldn't come at a worse time.

Consider this: Marlin has a total of seven finishes outside of the top-20 this season, with three coming in the last three starts. Why, he probably wonders, couldn't he have had the bad luck earlier this season, rather than now?

Dover was especially rough on Marlin. Not only did he finish out of the top-20 for the third straight race, but he dropped two places in the standings -- from second to fourth. Not only does he trail Martin, he now also falls in behind rookie Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart in the standings.

So, with eight races left, can Marlin come back and claim the crown?

Part of the problem Marlin has had of late is what he perceives as a performance disadvantage for the Dodges, with a definite edge to Ford and Chevrolet. While he claims he doesn't want to whine, Marlin may have a point. At New Hampshire, Jimmy Spencer had the highest-finishing Dodge, with a mediocre 15th-place run. Last weekend at Dover, Kyle Petty was the standard bearer, leading all Dodge drivers with a 16th-place showing.

"If you run 'em on the chassis dynos, the Fords have got 50 more horsepower than we've got," Marlin said. "Chevrolet is right there with 'em. They've got better aero. We're the only car (model) from last year that's had stuff taken away. Everybody else has got stuff. I ain't crying, but facts are facts. I'm really not complaining. I'm just explaining."

It's that shortfall that may explain Marlin's poor performances. But it also raises the issue that unless NASCAR again attempts to level the playing field by giving some help to Dodge teams, much of Marlin's success earlier this year will be long forgotten by season's end.

And instead of happiness, Marlin will likely again return to Tennessee for the off-season and wonder if he'll ever get as good a chance as he had this year.

Marlin has a bit of consolation to consider as he heads to Kansas. He finished fifth in the inaugural event at the 1½-mile oval last year. He's hoping for an equal, if not better showing Sunday.

"We tested at Kentucky last week for Kansas, and I think we had a real good test, so maybe we can get back on track," Marlin said. "I think Kansas coming up will be good for us."

For a guy who seemingly had all the luck going his way earlier this year, Marlin's misfortune is enough to drive a man to drink.

Last Sunday at Dover, that thought seemed to be on Marlin's mind. When asked his thoughts on the race, he deadpanned, "We had the wrong gear, the wrong springs, the wrong shocks (and the) wrong car. We had the right beer, but other than that, we got stomped."

Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com.