Just to make sure everyone understands how Autostart works:
There are 3 key settings for Autostart (can't remember if these are the exact names in the software but something like it):
1) Timeout
2) Staged minimum
3) Staged to start
There is NO timeout in effect until BOTH vehicles have turned on the pre-stage light, and ONE of them has turned on the stage light. At that time (3 bulbs lit) a timer starts, and if the other driver has not staged by the end of the timeout then he gets a red-light. The timer is set at 7 seconds at many tracks. A simple thing to do is to never light the top bulb until you are spooled and ready to stage, and preferably do it at the same time the other guy is spooling and creeping forward. Another benefit of doing this is that you will see if the beams are getting smoked out before you get there.
The staged min setting is effectively the shortest time for the tree to come down after both drivers have turned on the stage lights, and the staged to start setting is the max amount of time after both drivers have staged.
In my street truck I deep stage, and the only way I can do that is to be sure to stage first. I usually mention it in the driver's meeting that I will stage VERY quickly. I wait until the other truck is rolling forward and about to light the top bulb, and I roll in and try to do my whole staging motion as quickly as possible. If the other guy starts rolling but suddenly stops just before turning on the top bulb, I will be effectively "double bulbing" him, but that is not against the rules. I personally would like to see the tracks go back to "honoring" deep staging, where they don't reset the tree until the deep staging vehicle has gotten in deep, but in the absence of that I will just have to stage very quickly. I guess the moral of the story is to know the rules and adapt to them!
Regards,
Michael Pliska
