Get your USAC license ASAP. Download and read the rulebook. You can skip the track, MTB, BMX, and cyclocross sections if you're not interested. Read it like you're going to be tested on it, like it's your worst class with your worst teacher and you have to work hard to get a good grade. The more you know about the rules, the better off you will be. It always surprises me how little so many racers know about the rules. If you hang around here, you'll see questions come up time and time again that are clearly answered in the rulebook. Granted, not everything in the rulebook is cut and dried, but I'm talking about simple stuff like upgrade rules.