In 2018, Atlas launched a yearlong sweepstakes that took the roofing industry by storm. The grand prize: a 1951 Chevy 3100 pickup, painted factory Swift Red, featuring an exclusive five-window cab, all of the optional chrome and stainless trim, and a solid-steel frame — not to mention a fully rebuilt engine that hums like new. Thousands of contractors across the country fell in love with the classic beauty — dubbed the Asphalt Life Truck — and dreamed of becoming its new owner.

The Asphalt Life Truck Sweepstakes was open to all through a variety of channels, including utilizing tools available through the Atlas Pro™ Plus control panel and installing Atlas Signature Select® Roofing Systems. As part of the promotion, 10 contractors and their guests received an all-expense paid trip to the 2019 International Roofing Expo in Nashville, TN, where one lucky contractor drove away with the truck.

Overcoming Obstacles

When the sweepstakes launched, David Smith, an Atlas Pro Plus Gold contractor and owner of DKS Roofing in Douglasville, GA, dreamed of becoming a finalist but knew early on it was a long shot. However, in January 2019, he beat the odds when he was randomly selected among thousands of entrants as a top 10 finalist.

Dreams of driving away with the '51 Chevy were abruptly put on hold three weeks prior to the trip when he was admitted to the hospital for atrial fibrillation (AFib). A week before the trip, he had another attack that left him lying in a hospital bed.

The outcome looked grim for Smith until “God saw different,” he said. “I didn’t think I was going to get to come. I thought I was going to miss the whole event.”

Though faced with obstacles, Smith was committed and determined. He and his wife, Jane, made the trip from metro Atlanta to Nashville — and he came ready to win.

Beating The Odds Once And For All

With hundreds of onlookers surrounding the Atlas booth, the stage was set to give away the grand prize. Each finalist stepped forward and selected a scratch-off card. Beneath one of the scratch-offs was the much-anticipated word: “Winner!”

Tension built as the finalists simultaneously scratched off their cards with giant pennies. In a moment of pure joy, Smith let out a loud burst of excitement as he read the word beneath his scratch off in disbelief: “Winner!”

David Smith had beaten the odds again.

“This is truly a win for us,” Smith said. “These are the things that happen to God’s people.”

Smith received the keys to the Asphalt Life Truck in March 2019.

“We could not have chosen a more deserving winner of the Asphalt Life Truck,” said Stan Bastek, national sales director for Atlas and architect of the yearlong promotion. “David Smith lives the Asphalt Life and embodies what it means to live, roof and play with perseverance and willpower every day.”

The Asphalt Life Podcast

Hear the Atlas team talk to David Smith about his big win and recap the IRE.