My son discovered road racing in college. The local bike shop provided a connection with the collegiate cycling team. They went to races and had a blast and never crashed. He continues to race and has had only a few crashes due to his own negligence and ignorance. He does admit he prefers track racing to crits as it fits his body type more closely. 230+ pounds, and cranks out huge watts but only for short distance.
He really enjoys long training rides, and minimalist bike camping using gravel roads.