The Trackhouse Racing driver has finishes of 31st and 25th across Darlington and Gateway respectively.
He began the Round of 16 above the cutoff line at +16 in sixth but was dumped to 12th at +3 after the first race at Darlington
After Gateway, he is the second driver on the outside looking in at -15 with one race to go in the Round of 16 at Bristol.
“It’s funny, our pace has hugely improved over the last few months and now we’re a 15th to 20th place car, which is amazing after the start we had,” van Gisbergen told Frontstretch.
“But in the Playoffs, you just need more, right? I don’t know if we’re just expecting too much out of ourselves for the level I’m at at the moment.
“We can go and get them 15ths and 20ths, but it’s not enough in the Playoffs when you need stage points and top 10s. It is what it is.”
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Despite the risk of being dumped out of the Playoffs after the first leg, van Gisbergen said he has enjoyed the format so far.
“I really like it. I like the pressure it creates. I like the racing dynamic of all the yellow spoiler cars having big dives and trying a bit harder,” he explained.
“I find it’s pretty cool. When you’re in it, it’s a privilege.”
Gateway promised a better result until van Gisbergen’s day went pear-shaped. He first suspected a puncture and lost ground before spinning on his own on Lap 153.
Then a strategy gamble to take two tyres rather than four looked like it would pay dividends on track position when he exited the pits in the lead. However, that was undone by speeding on pit lane, for which he was dumped to the back of the lead lap.
On the team radio, van Gisbergen said he lost sight of his RPM lights, which drivers use to gauge their speed.
“We just had to try something. Taking two tyres, struggled with track position all day, and every time it single-filed out I could hold my pace pretty good. We just had to try something,” van Gisbergen explained.
“Stephen (Doran, crew chief) made a great call, but then I made an error. Spun as well. Yeah, made it hard on ourselves.”
The NASCAR Cup Series continues at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday at 9:30am AEST.
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