Try not to get too caught up on the discounts. They're nice, but good relationships go a long way (with shops, riders, etc).
You're obviously fit. The compliments are good too, and, to burst your bubble a bit, double sided. When I hear the words "You'll do well if you keep it up" or "You have a lot of talent" (never directed at me - they say "I can't believe you made it to the finish" instead), what they're saying is that you have a lot of raw power/strength/aerobic-capacity but you're making really rookie mistakes in tactics and individual/group riding technique. In other words you need to learn individual/group riding techniques, hone your tactics, and then you'll be "complete".
If you have a vision on what you want from a team, you can learn from the more experienced riders but you can join the new team. You can help mold that team, but it'll take literally years for you to build a cohesive, technically good, loyal group. Once you have that, you'll be like the pro riders who go from team to team with their cadre of "must have" teammates. Even if you all end up on different teams, it doesn't mean you can't be friendly to your friends. I'll lead out non-teammates in races and such, or chase things down, or do much more subtle things. It's because we're friends (and, at some level, because me or my team is not focused on that particular race).
I ran my first clinic maybe 4 years into my racing life, first year Senior racer, in college, with 20-25 regular team members. I actually learned some of the stuff by practicing it at the clinic I ran for the team. I wanted to ride with guys/gals that knew how to ride in a group, could bump/touch no problems, that understood many of the basics of riding the bike. Having grown up understanding the importance of technical training (I played violin for 12 years), I knew that some drills would go a long way towards accomplishing all that. Until then I never knew how to touch wheels and stay upright, but I learned there. I could track stand, but within a week one of my teammates was trackstanding no handed (which I can't do). It was a huge experiment for me and hugely successful.
One rider beat me in one of our first races, and he had only race a few times before. That was a bit frustrating! But it showed me that the clinics and group rides worked well.
If you prefer to follow, then join the older team. The learning curve will be steep. If you want to learn, you'll need to ask. Ask for feedback on every ride, ask what you could have done better. Ask for honest, no-BS feedback. Take the criticism kindly - it'll only help you out. Remember, you're strong. You need to learn everything else.
A friend told me a long time ago not to offer advice to a rider unless asked. Here on BF it's pretty easy - no one posts a question unless they have a question. On rides, though, it's tough sometimes, holding my tongue. But it's pretty invasive and unpleasant to have some unknown guy come up to you and criticize your riding. I'll usually say things to guys racing, but not on group rides (because in the race the guy might take me out, on group rides I just avoid them). I recommend you ask for feedback because the wise riders will observe your errors, but unless you ask about them, they may not say anything to you.
There's a guy that raced the Cat 5s this spring, Sam R. Nice guy, very savvy, thinking on the bike, etc. Obviously strong, obviously understood pack dynamics. If I didn't know better, I'd say he'd been racing at least 10 years. But he'd just started. He won a few of the Cat 3 (!!) races I did towards the end of the year, very tough races requiring exquisite tactics backed up by decent strength. I fully expect him to be a Cat 2 right now, and he'll be racing the 2s next year. He has the physical talent but he also have incredible maturity on the bike in terms of tactics and technical skills. That's what you want.
Hope this helps you with a breakout season next year,
cdr