[Mark Yacavone]

I wouldn't lower the tire pressure unless you have a traction issue, which I doubt you have. You have too big a swing in RT's to worry about tire pressure
There should only two choices for staging. Just barely shallow or just barely deep. What do you mean try to "stage as shallow as possible"?
I think you have the right idea, to just get out and race for practice, but all the practice in the world is not any good if you are not doing it correctly.