CCORS #2 and CCORS #3

So, work has been really busy and I have not found time to do a race report on CCORS #2.  Race #2 was located at The Bicycle Post in Greenville.  Having never raced there I didn't know exactly what to expect.  I knew by the location that it would probably be almost as rooty as the one at The Piranha Pit.  I was partially right that there were lots of roots, but the course was faster than The Pit.  They started us off on the edge of a field and only gave us 300 yards or so to sort ourselves out before hitting the singletrack.  I feel we could have started further around the field to get us spread out more.  When they start us in the Single Speed Class with the Sport Class it really bunches us up and it did.  I end up going into the woods middle of the pack and I guess some guys with gears do not like use momentum to get up the short hills, but would rather grind it out in a small gear.  Every hill we would come to I was catching the geared guys and having to slow my pace.  So, in my most friendly voice I would let them know that I was on a single speed and needed to get by since we were not racing each other.  I guess from the chain slapping their frame they couldn't hear me.  I had 2nd and 3rd in my sights until the guy in front of me decided to crash in the middle of the trail going downhill.  So, that brought us to a screeching halt.  I dismounted and ran around him and continued my hunt eventhough I couldn't see them anymore.  About a mile later I catch up to another guy with gears and he decides to wreck also, but must of known I was on a single speed since he chose the bottom of the hill to wreck.  So, I dismount again and run up the hill.  To make things worst, her i am at about 7 miles into the 1st lap and decide to go blazing through a turn and have to lock up my brakes and end up powersliding into a tree which knocked my rearwheel out of alignment.  So, again I get off the bike to fix this problem.  The 2nd lap was uneventful, but I was on a mission to still try and catch 3rd place.  Never saw him again until I crossed the finish line in 4th place.  After checking the results the following day, come to find out I was less than a minute behind 3rd place.  That is the crazy thing about racing, you never know how it will go.