Dover boils down to Chase needs (Tony Stewart), or recent studs (Kasey Kahne)

Kasey Kahne is hot; Tony Stewart is not. Come Sunday night, both could be on the outside looking in at the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

This week's race at Dover is the third and final leg of the Round of 16 in the championship series. Four drivers will be eliminated from the competition. Barring a victory, one that would be a shock given his recent performance, Stewart will be one of the four.

MORE: Dover Chase scenarios

Kahne, meanwhile, didn't make the Chase. He is in company with 24 other drivers in Sunday's race, from big-name teams to back-marker operations, who are turning laps and trying to stay out of the way most of the time as the Chase drivers make their runs.

Except, of course, for Kahne. In need of a surge to save his season, Kahne got it too late. Too bad, since he enters Dover off four consecutive top 10 finishes. So here is Kahne, doing better than Stewart and the other three drivers facing elimination.

MORE: Chase drivers in big trouble

Add this to Kahne's success at Loudon: He started at the back of the field after being flagged for unapproved adjustments, so finishing ninth was quite the showing. He was seventh at Chicagoland.

Another great car this weekend @NHMS Glad we got a top 10 but def a top 5 car on the longer runs.Thanks to my team! @GREATracing @TeamChevy

— Kasey Kahne (@kaseykahne) September 25, 2016

Stewart was running well at New Hampshire until midrace, when he told crew chief Mike Bugarewicz his car "all of a sudden changed." His car, Stewart said later, was "numb."

#SHRFans: Here's a 1st look at the No. 14 @NaturesBakery Brownie / @Mobil1 Chevy that @TonyStewart will pilot this wknd at @MonsterMile. pic.twitter.com/K4oEb12UTI

— Stewart-Haas Racing (@StewartHaasRcng) September 28, 2016

At least Stewart could watch his teammates succeed. Kevin Harvick won and Kurt Busch finished fifth. Busch will need another strong run at Dover; he is 15 points ahead of Jamie McMurray, who is 13th in the driver standings and in danger of elimination.

MORE: Loudon Winners & Losers | 16 drivers in Chase field

McMurray's best chance to advance comes in the form of a disappointing finish by Kyle Larson, who holds the 12th and final Chase transfer position. After three finishes in the top three, including a victory at Michigan, Larson has been good. A repeat at Dover of his 10th at Loudon might be good enough to push him into the Round of 12, but Larson is just five points ahead of McMurray.

By the way, Larson was second in May's race at Dover.

The last time we visited Dover?@mattkenseth held off @KyleLarsonRacin for the big W. #TheChase https://t.co/U1Cd8CpVuH

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 27, 2016

Kahne will do all he can to help teammates Jimmie Johnson and Chase Elliott. Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon again drives in place of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will be at Dover above Gordon's pit.

Austin Dillon and Chris Buescher, like Stewart and McMurray, will need a victory to salvage their Chase dreams.

MORE: Dover schedule

Stewart is set to retire after the 2016 season, and he will have surgery in December. Doctors will remove screws inserted to help heal his back, in which he broke bones in late January.

According to Fox Sports, Stewart will race 40 or more times next year, mostly in dirt track competition.

He will be disappointed when his final Chase ends, Stewart said this week via The Associated Press, but he also knows technology has surpassed his ability to make his car better.

''That's part of why I'm ready to do something different — because I can't make a difference anymore,'' he said. ''I can't go out there and do different things with my feet and different things with my hands and run a different line and fix the problem. I used to be able to do that. I can't do that anymore, and you get so frustrated, you can't see straight.

''You try everything in the book that you know, and it doesn't help.''

The entries for Sunday's Citizen Soldier 400 at Dover, which will begin about 2:15 p.m. ET. Qualifying is Friday.

NOTE: Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers in bold.