A method for controlling stopping and starting of an engine having a variable event valvetrain is described. According to the method engine valves may be used to reduce engine evaporative emissions as well as engine starting emissions.Since the engine configuration shown has electrically actuated intake and exhaust valves it is possible to reconfigure the engine operating sequence during a start. For example, the pistons for cylinders two and three are in the same position at the same time. This allows either cylinder to be set to an intake stroke during a subsequent engine restart when the piston is traveling away from the cylinder head while the companion cylinder is set to the expansion or power stroke. Thus, the cylinder having the first intake stroke could be configured to provide a first combustion event during an engine restart. On the other hand, the cylinder set to the power stroke could have been set to the intake stroke such that it is the first cylinder to provide a combustion stroke during a restart.