soccer season and finish my senior project so I can ride all I want!!!

So check this out:  It’s March 8th and I’m packing my stuff up to go to the mountain bike race.  The race starts at two and I got there about one' o’clock so I could get my bike dialed in for the ride.  I start getting dressed and I hear "would all the riders go to the other side of the field for the start of the race".  That’s when I started freaking out.  I called Mom to see where she was because I couldn’t register without her there.  She says, "I’m still at the house" (thirty minuets away).  I got pissed and got ready to leave and then decided Id ride it anyway just not actually race it.  So the race started and I got a great start and was in the woods in about 6th place.  By the end of the first lap I was in third chasing Brian through the woods.  He and I are both on hard tails so we are taking about the same line one the trail; we also keep about the same place so I just followed his line for about two miles.  Then we got to a turn that he took differently than I normally do and IM thinking what the hell I'll try his line it might be faster.  His line put me on my face with my bike piled on top of me!  I got back up and kept going thinking Id catch him any minute and I'd be back on my pace.  Well I rode about 5 miles seeing him on the trail ahead of me from time to time and eventually I decided that Id cut the course to catch him and maybe push him to go a little faster and gain a spot or two.  I cut the course in a spot that I knew was a little less than a tenth of a mile loop so I wouldn't have to wait for him long.  I waited and waited and waited but didn't see Brian so I kept riding.  I eventually finished the race in fourth place with Mom and Christy (the race coordinator) "we've got you Eric you're time counted! Great ride!"  It really sucked having to disqualify yourself for cutting the course and not even getting a time advantage from it!