Get a good warm up, to loosen up the joints, muscles and CV system. Make sure you start very close to the front. As well, whenever approaching turns and bottlenecks, get closer to the front as you can then maintain a better speed and position through them.
i.e. in Central Park: Lasker Pool S turn, entering Horse “Carriage” Alley, beginning Cats Paw Hill;
at Harriman: the descent into the Tiorati Climb and the traffic circles on Seven Lakes Drive.

Try to overlap slightly inside to the rider in front of you, so that if they have a mishap, you can continue to approach and ride your own line through the turns. (Especially important in the last laps of a criterium.)

Don’t ride directly behind someone as too much road spray will block vision and cause you to catch a bit of a chill, especially as you descend. Stay a bit to the side, so you still get a good draft, but also if you catch any spray its on your arms, not your torso.

Wipe your mouth and bottle tops before drinking to lessen chance of ingesting “road grit”…

Tighten shoes as the race gets deeper so you have the most power transferred during attacks/sprints at the end of the race, or before climbs and critical tactical phases of the race…

Zip up jerseys/jackets for descents…

Start race with light layer of vaseline on legs and torso, or similar warming/weather protection embrocation, then you won’t need knee warmers/as many base layers, to stay warm and body will be more “hydro-phobic”…

Try to lessen the effect bad weather has upon your performance and attitude, the others will be more worse for the wear, and you will more focused on racing…

cheers,
Good Luck!

David