Mopar Madness Joins Carlisle’s Winter AutoFest in Florida

All Mopar models are welcome, joining the field that was previously all Corvettes and Mustangs, Feb. 21 – 23, 2020.

Each year, the Chrysler Carlisle Nationals is one of the biggest Mopar shows in the world. It is also being one of the biggest events held at the Carlisle Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania. However, Carlisle plays host to several other large events, including the Ford Nationals and Corvettes at Carlisle, among others. The problem for the Carlisle event planning group is that Pennsylvania faces harsh winter weather, so they are unable to host shows in the winter.

Pennsylvania’s snowy winter led the Carlisle group to launch an annual event in Florida. It is called the Winter AutoFest and will be held at the Sun ‘n Fun Campus in Lakeland, Feb. 21 -23, 2020. It has been going on for a few years, but 2020 marks the first year where Mopar models will be featured, giving those folks in warmer states a place to show off their muscle cars during the winter months.

“Mopar owners are arguably the most passionate and loyal of any automotive brand,” noted Carlisle Chrysler Nationals event manager Ed Buczeskie in a recent press statement. “There are a lot of Chrysler enthusiasts in Florida and since Ford and Chevrolet were being featured, I wanted to make sure the Pentastar was represented too. Rather than focus on one nameplate, ALL Mopar brands will be welcome.”

Mopar Comes to Winter AutoFest

The first group to get a dedicated display area at the Carlisle Winter AutoFest was the Mustang crowd in 2015. Since the Sun ‘n Fun Campus has so much space, the planners added a Corvette area in 2019. This includes show vehicles, brand-specific celebrities and brand-specific vendors, but there was still more room on the sprawling property of the aerospace expo.

Since the Mustang and Corvette crowds were already included in Winter AutoFest, the Carlisle team added the other huge show crowd from the Pennsylvania events. That is, of course, the Mopar community, but this area isn’t restricted to just one model. Like the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, the Mopar area at Winter AutoFest is open to all makes and models of Mopar-related brands. This means that you can show your Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, Plymouth, AMC, DeSoto or any other model that falls within the Mopar history.

As it the case with the Mustang and Corvette areas, the Mopar display area in Lakeland, Florida will have brand-specific vendors and attractions. The Mopar crowd won’t be as big as it is in Carlisle due to the time of year, but it should be like a miniature Chryslers at Carlisle, except with the Mustangs and Corvettes on the grounds as well. Fortunately, with the Mopar field being open to multiple brands, Chrysler group models are likely to outnumber Mustangs and Corvettes.

Winter AutoFest Pricing

If you want to show off your Mopar at the Carlisle Winter AutoFest in Florida, there are two ticket options.

The first show option is the VIP package, which gets your Mopar a spot in the show field, along with admitting a driver and passenger. This $75 package also includes two VIP bidder passes to the two-day auction, access to the VIP bidder’s breakfast on Saturday, two days of celebrity judging, “exclusive photo opportunities” and an event t-shirt.

The more cost-effective option is the Fun Field pass, which costs $25. This gets a car, driver and passenger into the event. They both have auction access, but there is no “VIP access”, no bidder’s breakfast and no free shirt. If you are going for the car show more than anything, this is your better option.

Finally, if you don’t have a vehicle to show off, but you still want to check out the huge field of show cars including Mopars, Mustangs and Corvettes, spectator admission is only $10 per day.

Photos: Carlisle Events

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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