RAC Patrol of the Year joins MPG Marathon line-up

RAC Patrol of the Year Chris Burgess
RAC Patrol of the Year Chris Burgess

RAC Patrol of the Year, Chris Burgess, will be joining the line-up of competitors for this year’s MPG Marathon, and says he’s looking forward to putting his new VW Transporter T6 through its paces.

Chris, aged 42 from Newbury, has been an RAC Patrol for 17 years, and in May he was named as the RAC’s Patrol of the Year.

The annual award is made to the patrol that has given outstanding customer service and technical performance throughout the year, and entitles them to a new vehicle with the prestigious P1 RAC number plate.

Chris, who worked as a mechanic in workshops and garages before becoming a patrol, said he was looking forward to tackling the MPG Marathon challenge.

He said: “It’s a great opportunity to put the new van through its paces and get a very accurate idea of its MPG when fully loaded with the 500 parts and tools that we carry to help our members at the roadside.

“The van is a bit special this year as we are celebrating 120 years so it has the anniversary livery as well as the P1 RAC number plate.

“It’s turning into a bit of a tradition for the RAC Patrol of the Year to take part so I’m hoping to do as well as the last two, or better!”

Chris will be joined by colleagues from the RAC Fuel Patrol team who will be supporting drivers throughout the event, which will see competitors taking on a course setting off from the Forest of Arden Hotel in the West Midlands on October 3 and 4.

The RAC Fuel Patrol’s main role is to accurately measure the volume of fuel in the tanks of the competitors’ vehicles before and after each stage, as well as be on hand to top up if drivers should run out.

The MPG Marathon is open to fleet managers, motoring journalists and key figures from the automotive sector, all striving to complete the course by driving in the most fuel-efficient way.

The event is well-established as a reliable ‘real world’ test of the fuel efficiency claims made by motor manufacturers of their vehicles.

RAC Business sales director Roger Williams said: “This is the third year RAC Business has supported the MPG Marathon and we’re proud to be involved once again.

“As an event the MPG Marathon is a really key exercise in helping fleets, including our own, understand the real world fuel efficiency of vehicles in a range of classes, which is data that can potentially help manage fuel costs better.

“In addition it’s a fantastic setting among the Warwickshire countryside, and a great opportunity for motoring industry figures to get together to share experiences and talk about the latest developments in fuel efficiency and emerging technology.”

For more information about RAC Business, go to: http://www.rac.co.uk/business

ENDS

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The RAC Media Centre provides journalists and news outlets with the latest motoring-related news, comment, data and research.

The RAC is an iconic UK brand, and provides complete peace of mind to nearly 14 million UK private and business drivers - whatever their motoring needs. As well as its premium nationwide breakdown assistance service – with an expert branded patrol workforce attending more than two million breakdowns every year – and European breakdown assistance products, it offers a wide range of market-leading products across insurance, legal services, vehicle inspections and service, maintenance and repair. Included in this is the first-of-its-kind nationwide Mobile Mechanics service which brings the garage to homes and workplaces. 

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