CLEARFIELD – Caroline Zortman, a life-long resident of Clearfield, has checked a big item off her bucket list.
She had her 1968 Plymouth Barracuda selected for the “Mopars in the Family” Invitational Display in Building T at the Chrysler Nationals at Carlisle, Pa., in July of 2022.
Chryslers at Carlisle is the largest all-Mopar event in the world, shares Zortman. “I’ve been attending for 30 years now, and this has been a dream since attending as a teenager with my family.
“I’ve entered every vehicle I’ve owned over the years at Carlisle in the fun field. Getting selected for the ‘Invitational Display’ is a huge honor. The biggest honor at Carlisle.”
In December of 2021, she submitted the required car photographs and her “Mopars in the Family” personal connection, sharing how she grew up around Mopars her whole life and how her family has always owned this brand of vehicle.
She found out in May of 2022 that she was one of the people selected with her car and it was featured at the event two months later in July of 2022.
Zortman has owned the car for nearly 20 years. “I purchased it from a nice couple in Mahaffey. My dad and I completely restored it ourselves in 2005; it took us approximately 17 months in all our spare time.
“I drive it as much as I possibly can, weather permitting. The students, staff and even some parents at Clearfield Area Elementary School enjoy seeing it parked at school.
Zortman has been a secretary at Clearfield Area Elementary since it opened up its doors 25 years ago. “I’ve even drag-raced the car a few times at sanctioned events.
“Very fun.”
Getting selected for the granddaddy of all Mopar events was something Zortman will never forget. Her car was on display for the entire weekend, July 15—17, 2022.
“They even used my car as a feature photo for this specific display on their Facebook page. I’ve dreamed about this for years and my dream came true. Definitely a very big item on my bucket list,” she shares.
