At age 9, she’s a two-time Orange Crate Derby champion

Photos and story by Richard W Dionne Jr
Posted 6/13/18

As cars scream down Bayview Avenue, a kid with a camera jumps onto the course, click, click, click. The cars hit the finish line and there’s a high pitched squealing sound as the Orange Crate Derby …

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At age 9, she’s a two-time Orange Crate Derby champion

Posted

As cars screamed down Bayview Avenue, a kid with a camera jumped onto the course, click, click, click. The cars hit the finish line and there was a high pitched squealing sound as the Orange Crate Derby cars hit their brakes before reaching a line of hay bales at the end of the course on Sunday afternoon.

Frank Fales called out the winner, and the cars went back up for another try.

The 14-year-old photographer, Guy McGovern, is a two-time winner. He won in 2015 and 2016. He started racing at age 9, and placed every year from 2014 to 2017 in a car built by Ed Borges, a family friend. Yes, he’s the same Borges whose family won race after race in years past. The problem was that Guy had a growing spurt in 2018.

“Guytano didn’t race this year, because he couldn’t fit in the car anymore,” said his grandfather, David McGovern. “So he gave the car to his sister, Nicola.”

“She thought my car was faster than hers,” said Guy. “I think it was the driver, but I let her race it,” adding, “And I really didn’t want to go back in the parade up on that float in the hot sun. It’s a lot of time in the sun,” he said.

Nicola is his 12-year-old sister who began racing three years ago.

“She’s driving better this year,” Guy said. “She has more confidence this year and she’s handling the speed well.”

Nine racers competed in this year’s derby, and it came down to Nicola and 2017 winner, 9-year-old Kara Pisasale.

Kara beat Guy in 2017. In the final race this year, the two cars were neck and neck. Nicola, trying to ride as close as possible to the orange cones that divide the track, bumped into a few midway through the course and it cost her, as Kara Pisasale won her second Orange Crate Derby race in a row.

The two-time champ shared her secret to success at the finish line.

“You have to tuck really low and stay straight,” she said.

On winning again she said, “It feels really good. And exciting.”

The champ also is a Little Miss runner up and could run into trouble in the Fourth of July parade.

“Now I have to be in two places at once,” she said.

“She’s very competitive. As long as she keeps winning she’ll be back,” said her mom, Carly Pisasale.

And she may have to deal with Nicola again and her Ed Borges-made car.

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Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.