Batman is Coming to the Carlisle GM Nationals…Kind Of

CARLISLE, Pa. - May 8, 2015 - PRLog -- Evil doers beware, because in a quick Bam, Ka-pow or Zonk, Batman could be sending you to the slammer.  That’s right, Batman…not the actual one, but Batman nonetheless will be making an appearance at the Carlisle GM Nationals, June 26-28 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds.  This caped crusader will appear alongside his equally impressive Batmobile, which in this case, is a crime fighting modified 5^th Gen SLP Camaro.

The Camaro and Batman, played by Newark, NJ police Detective Genaro Ortiz Jr., will make an appearance at SLP’s booth on the Manufacturers Midway. The SLP booth is a perfect spot for Detective Ortiz to display his crime-fighting 5^th Gen Camaro, after all they were the company that provided plenty of performance parts to help him track down the bad guys!  Although he may not be the real Batman, Bruce Wayne, Christian Bale, Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Adam West, or even Ben Affleck, Ortiz is a 23-year veteran police officer who is a real life hero to kids everywhere.

It’s only fitting that the Carlisle Fairgrounds are located right next to a local elementary school, because that’s what Ortiz and his Batman gimmick have been about since the concept was introduced more than two decades ago - helping kids.  When not fighting actual bad guys, Ortiz uses his personal Camaro (a.k.a. the Batmobile) to teach inner city kids about safety and to trust police officers.  He does his best to get the message across as Detective Ortiz, but sometimes that persona isn’t good enough.  Out comes the costume, which weighs upwards of 40 pounds, and the rest, is history.

Ortiz noted in a 2013 interview with the Newark Star Ledger that what started as Halloween safety chats expanded into presentations at local schools, sometimes two or three in a day.  Topics further expanded to include bullying, strangers, 911, gangs, drugs and bicycle safety.  Ortiz even incorporates a little magic into his talks, showing how a simple set of brass rings can be hard to escape from, similar to how poor choices in life can lead to a different kind of metal bracelets, the type you can’t break free from.

At Carlisle, not only will his Batmobile/5^th Gen Camaro be a popular draw, but he’ll take time while wearing the suit to speak with any youth onsite.  Ortiz likely won’t stay just at the SLP booth either; he’ll make the rounds Batman-style and take in the show, before heading back to Gotham, er…Newark to work.  As of now, availability for both the car and the man are Thursday and Friday.

His appearance is just part of a larger weekend showcase, including cool cars from all eras of GM production, a retro ‘80s theme, parts shopping, test drives from local dealership Lawrence Chevrolet and more.  Complete GM Nationals information is available at www.CarlisleEvents.com or by calling 717-243-7855.