February 11, 2009

• David Carrington owns RacingUSA.com

• He also is Vestavia city council president

• Carrington recognized as "entrepreneurial hero"

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB School of Business chapter of the American Marketing Association's (AMA) nominee for a 2009 Entrepreneurial Hero award, David Carrington of Vestavia Hills, has been recognized with the honor along with nine others nationwide by the Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence. Carrington is the entrepreneur turned CEO of RacingUSA.com, the largest independently owned internet seller of NASCAR merchandise. He also is the president of the Vestavia Hills City Council.

Carrington is a regular guest lecturer at the UAB School of Business, and his impact on students led some of them to nominate Carrington for the Acton Foundation hero award.

"David is a great supporter of the UAB School of Business, and his story of hard work turned into small-business success has inspired many of our students," said Assistant Professor of Marketing Lauren Skinner, the faculty advisor for the school's AMA chapter.

The hero award is a component of the Acton Foundation's Take an Entrepreneur to Lunch program. The program required students to spend a lunch with Carrington and interview him on the history of his entrepreneurial success. Students then submitted an online report, including a self-produced video with Carrington, to formally nominate him for the hero award. Hundreds of similar reports were submitted by students from universities all over the country. In the end just 10 nominees were named a 2009 Entrepreneurial Hero.

"This is a testament to the student's hard work on their nomination report and to David's hard work on building one of the country's most successful online retail sites," Skinner said.

Students said Carrington's story spoke for itself, and they were just happy to take it public.

"Mr. Carrington is a cancer survivor, and after battling back from the disease, he realigned his business priorities and established a successful business plan," said senior business student Amy Musick. "He inspired all of us during our lunchtime interview, and his award is well deserved."

For their work on a winning nomination, the UAB AMA students have received a $1,000 grant. Carrington, with input from the nominating students, will decide which charity will receive a $5,000 donation in his and the students' names.

MORE ON THE ACTION FOUNDATION

The Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence (AFEE) is designed to encourage successful and aspiring entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and insight. The AFEE started the Take an Entrepreneur to Lunch program, including its hero award component, to bring generations together and encourage students to start their own businesses and positively influence the free market.