Your first race is going to be more about getting comfortable with being around other karts than about taking home any trophies. Don’t be afraid to “run your own race” within the race. If an opportunity arises to battle with another driver, stay calm and study their technique. If you have the pace, make a pass, if not, play the follow game until you do. The best way to learn is to let someone show you the way.
If and when the leaders come up behind you, do NOT take some weird off line maneuver to get out of their way. Stay your course and let them make the pass safely. They know how to pass better than you know how to get out of their way. If an experience driver is about to overtake before a corner, its a good practice to point the side to pass you on. Keeps from getting tangled up on turn in.
In the end, don’t worry about the results. Focus on having fun and running a clean race. It will be more rewarding than cocking it up and bleeding your bank account trying to repair a poor decision.