“But remember one thing: When he first started, his car was pink.”
Those are the words Darrell Waltrip spoke in a Chevrolet commercial in the 1990s, referring to the first car Dale Earnhardt raced at the start of his career. Decades later, those same words will take on new meaning when Sam Mayer pilots No. 41 CARDIACS Sports & Memorabilia Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway this fall, sporting a tribute paint scheme inspired by Earnhardt’s pink 1956 K-2 Ford Victoria.
“There’s something special about bringing a Dale Earnhardt throwback to Charlotte, and we’re excited to have CARDIACS Sports & Memorabilia be part of it,” said Joe Custer, president of Haas Factory Team. “Dale’s impact on the sport is still felt today, and having Sam behind the wheel of a tribute car makes this a meaningful weekend for us at Haas Factory Team.”
Earnhardt called Kannapolis, North Carolina, home and built his racing roots there. At 19-years-old, Earnhardt obtained the Ford Victoria from his neighbors and, with the help of his father, Ralph Earnhardt, who built the engine, transformed it into a race car. Wayne and Frank Dayvault, along with their cousin Gregg, helped tune the car, and placed their company, Dayvault Tune Up & Brake Service, on the side of the vehicle.
Before the family put their business name on the car, they attempted to pain the car red. However, Wayne Dayvault accidentally poured too much white paint into the mixture according to an episode of The Sports Detectives, creating the iconic shade of pink that would coat Earnhardt’s first race car that he wheeled around the dirt tracks of North Carolina.
No one knows exactly what happened to the original K-2 car, though Kevin Barrow, through The Sport Detectives show investigated its whereabouts and uncovered strong evidence that it may rest in an abandoned gully. Without the original car, Gregg Dayvault and his son, Ryan, spent years working together to recreate the famed vehicle. The project strengthened their bond and made Wednesday’s unveiling of Mayer’s tribute paint scheme alongside the replica in downtown Kannapolis even more meaningful.
“It’s very hard for me to stand here without talking about my dad and how much he would have liked to be here today,” Dayvault said. “I was 12, 13 years old when we started building this car and restoring it. It was kind of our project we did together, and we finished it about a month before Dale Sr. was killed in Daytona.”
“The Earnhardt family has meant so much to Kannapolis and to our family forever, since the 1960s and even the 1950s. So, it’s been awesome to be able to see a new version of this car come to life of my personal hero.”
Mayer, who is currently fighting for a championship in NASCAR’s return to The Chase, got to see the restored car in the garage last month and even take it for a drive. To replicate the car one-to-one and have the same sponsors on the side means a great deal to him.
Sam Mayer will pilot the No. 41 Cardiacs Chevrolet in the Charlotte fall race.
The scheme honors the K-2 car Dale Earnhardt Sr. raced in on the dirt tracks of North Carolina in the 70’s. pic.twitter.com/kf5jVZb52a
— Taylor Kitchen (@_TaylorKitchen_) September 9, 2026
“To literally have Dale on the side of the car is just super special. It takes a man to drive a pink car, and Dale did it first. I’m just following in his footsteps,” Mayer said.
CARDIACS Sports & Memorabilia has been a North Carolina destination for sports cards, collectibles and fan gear since 2007. Founded by brothers Johnny and Jeff Cannon, what started as a passion has grown into a mult-location business where they share their love of collecting with sports fans everywhere.
Fans will have a chance to buy Mayer’s No. 41 throwback diecast, produced by Lionel Racing. exclusively through the CARDIACS website and in-store locations.
The striking pink car will make its way around the track Saturday, Oct. 10, on The CW Network.
