VanceMac, you need to stop beating up on those poor "B" racers on the track.
You obviously have some affinity for the track.
Sara, you did exactly what I tell anyone who is getting started in the sport. Stay out there as long as you can or as long as the officials will let you. I'm sure you've seen the logic before: DFL>DNF>DNS. At least that's the logic by which I live.
The only way to get better at racing is to race. As VancMac mentioned, the quality of the field and the type of course will affect beginning racers a lot. I encourage you to find a weekly training series race and to go as much as you can. There probably won't be a women's race but race with the Masters men and you will learn a lot about racing and about yourself.
The other thing about racing a lot is that you learn that not every race has to be an "A" race. Many of the races I do are more for training. I race them as hard as I can but I don't focus on the result. I focus on the efforts and the training benefits. Another old-time saying is, racing is the best training. That's not always true but it is generally hard to beat the training effect of a race.
Can't remember where I wrote this before but I'll write it again. This guy in SoCal is about my age. A few years ago he started racing. He was pretty heavy and pretty slow. But he kept showing up for the weekday twilight races and weekend races. He would invariably get dropped within one or two laps but he stayed out there and at least one promoter arranged it so that the officials wouldn't pull him. He did this for 2-3 years. Last year he looked thinner -- not skinny mind you -- and he started hanging in longer but would still get dropped. This year he's been able to stay in the pack at several races. I think the morale of the story is clear. If you really want to race and get better, race as much as you can and persevere.
BTW, I get dropped as a matter of course at road races with big hills. This is especially grating for me since I used to be a good (not great) hill climber. Anyway, I still do road races and I get dropped and I stay out there and finish. Sometimes people are still around when I get to the finish.
BTW, Amy Russo used to live in SoCal and she was in my club for a number of years. She didn't start racing until she was almost 40 and now she does pretty well in NorCal. If you know her or get to meet her, tell her I say, "Hi."