{
    "title": "Coventry\u2019s Ross Templeman named as RAC\u2019s Patrol of the Year ",
    "modified_at": "2026-07-09 00:01:01",
    "published_at": "2026-07-09 00:01:00",
    "url": "https://media.rac.co.uk/coventrys-ross-templeman-named-as-racs-patrol-of-the-year",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/UwKd",
    "culture": "en_GB",
    "language": "EN",
    "subtitle": "Roadside technician gets to drive a brand-new RAC Ford Transit van with coveted \u2018P1 RAC\u2019 numberplate",
    "slug": "coventrys-ross-templeman-named-as-racs-patrol-of-the-year",
    "body": "<p>A roadside mechanic who has been with the RAC for just 14 months has been named the RAC&rsquo;s Patrol of the Year at the motoring company&rsquo;s prestigious national awards ceremony at Silverstone &ndash; the home of British motor racing.</p><p>Ross Templeman, 29, from Coventry, beat around 1,700 patrols to win the coveted award, which means he gets to drive a brand-new Ford Transit, with the unique P1 RAC numberplate.</p><p>He said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m thrilled to win this award; it&rsquo;s great to work for a company that recognises your hard work.&rdquo;</p><p>After spending around 13 years working as a mechanic in dealerships, in early 2025 Ross decided that he needed a change.</p><p>He said: &ldquo;I wanted some freedom and independence. When you&rsquo;re on patrol, every day is different and you never know what you&rsquo;re going to get. </p><p>&ldquo;Often people break down when they&rsquo;re least expecting it, and it can be quite a stressful situation for them. I enjoy being that person who can come along and help them get back on their way.&rdquo;</p><p>Once, Ross was wrapping up his shift at Toddington Services when a woman spotted the distinctive orange RAC van and knocked on his window. </p><p>Her electric vehicle&rsquo;s battery wasn&rsquo;t charging, and she was on her way to the Lake District for a family holiday with her kids. </p><p>Already an RAC member, she was waiting for a patrol to arrive, but Ross decided to take a look at her car there and then to see if he could fix the issue.</p><p>It turned out the vehicle&rsquo;s 12V battery was flat which was preventing the high-voltage battery from charging, so Ross replaced it so it would charge up.</p><p>He said: &ldquo;She was so relieved. It was late at night and the kids were crying, so she was grateful to be on her way again. That&rsquo;s what makes the job so rewarding.&rdquo;</p><p>Patrol team manager Richard Heathcock said: &ldquo;Ross is so deserving of this award. \u200b </p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;ll go above and beyond to get the best resolution for RAC members, because they&rsquo;ve had enough upset from breaking down. That&rsquo;s what makes him stand out.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><div class=\"release-content-contact\" id=\"contact-c93080a1-8166-4794-a0ee-ec70b2fa8bbd\">\n    <div class=\"release-content-contact__avatar\"><img src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/0ccbe28b-9a41-4aac-9ccb-0813e2369083/-/scale_crop/128x128/center/-/format/auto/\" alt=\"Press team\" class=\"release-content-contact__avatar-image\" /></div>\n    <div class=\"release-content-contact__details\">\n        <strong class=\"release-content-contact__name\">Press team</strong>\n        <em class=\"release-content-contact__description\">For journalist enquiries only</em>\n        <ul class=\"release-content-contact__details-list\"><li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"mailto:press.office@rac.co.uk\"  class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"press.office@rac.co.uk\"><svg class=\"icon icon-paper-plane release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-paper-plane\"></use>\n            </svg>press.office@rac.co.uk</a></li>\n<li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"https://media.rac.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"media.rac.co.uk\"><svg class=\"icon icon-browser release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-browser\"></use>\n            </svg>media.rac.co.uk</a></li></ul>\n    </div>\n</div><p>&nbsp;</p>",
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    "contacts": [
        {
            "name": "Press team",
            "company": null,
            "description": "For journalist enquiries only",
            "email": "press.office@rac.co.uk",
            "website": "https://media.rac.co.uk",
            "address": null,
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    "author": {
        "first_name": "Harriet",
        "last_name": "Hernando"
    },
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