A method and system for adaptively implementing a disk drive startup sequence for a disk drive array. Prior to a next disk drive spin-up sequence a currently available power supply resource capacity and a startup metric of each of the array disk drives are determined. Each of the disk drives are scheduled into designated startup groups as a function of both the determined currently available power supply resource capacity and the determined startup metric. The scheduling of disk drives into designated startup groups includes determining an activation sequence timing schedule for each of the disk drives. The activation sequence timing schedule determines the relative times at which spindle motors for each of said plurality of disk drives will be activated as a function of the determined startup metric for each of the disk drives and the available power supply resource capacity as reduced by the steady state power requirements of each of the startup groups.