I apologize in advance for asking this.  I stopped recording for a couple years (health, work, other stuff) and seem to have forgotten how to use Sonar.  Plus getting old takes its toll on memories.
 
So here is the scenario
I have a part - say 16 measures long.  It is audio.  I have it enabled for take lanes....I work on getting a good take.  Fortunately, the first one takes well.  So I have 16 measures of a good take in lane 1 and noise and junk in lane 2 (not recording).  Lets say that noise and junk is 4 measures before I can stop the transport (usually just one or two).
 
The problem is thus... when I play back, the 4 measures in lane 2 are the active sound until they end, then it reverts to lane 1.  I delete lane 2 (junk).  Now i have to slip edit lane 1 to begin at measure 1. 
 
That works - but it is a clumsy way of working.  I have to stop and stretch lane 1 back to measure 1.  
 
That seems like I am doing something wrong.  I have looked at the on-line manual, and I purchased Craig Anderton's tips, but I do not see what I am looking for.  However, when I was recording 10-20 hours a week, I don't remember having to do this.
 
Is there a work around that doesn't require the slip editing?  
 
Oh - I have whatever the latest version of SPLAT is.  
 
Thanks in advance for your understanding and help.
 
Signed... a forgetful old m..uh.. what?

I believe you are doing something wrong.  Are you using comping mode?  You shouldn't need to stretch the first take.
 
Watch this video and see if it helps.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPi1BkBhEvE

What you are doing is the expected way that take lanes work.  You can delete the second lane if you wish. To get the first take to be the one that sounds you can just click in the bottom part of the muted part and it will promote it to non muted.  You can also put the cursor towards the bottom of the clip, it should turn to an 'I' like icon, and swipe across the clip and it will take that selection and promote it to be unmuted.
 
These tools really come in handy when you let the 16 bars go for a couple of loops and you want to take the best pieces from each take.

I think rlared is on the right track - if you're using Comp mode, which is the default, the previous takes are stored but automatically slip-edited so that only the latest take is audible for its duration.  That's why you can only hear your first take after the second is complete, and why you have to slip-edit that first take back to the beginning.    When you record using Sound on Sound instead there's no slip-editing involved, but I can't recall whether the previous takes can be auto-muted in that mode...