Start at the lowest and move up. It is nice to get a few wins before you get to the Pros, where you can get dusted pretty bad.
When I started, there was no SS separation. In SS, there were about 50 cars, and I finished next to last.
For the next few races, although I sneaked up in the ranks, it was mighty slow. What I really wanted was to know who had approximately the same experience as me, but it was very difficult to know.
The 3 groupings we now have is great. Wish they had had them 3 years ago.
As another goal, make sub-3 a goal. That's kind of a mark where you know you are getting good, but still have a ways to go.