The www.theAA.com MSA British Touring Car Championship certainly gave the 16,000 spectators one of the most action pack race weekends that has been seen all season, as Team Peugeot Sport skilfully demonstrated that Vauxhalls were in for a tough weekend.

The 15 lap Sprint Race produced the most tightly contested first three laps so far this season in the Touring category, Peugeot works driver Dan Eaves made an exhilarating start, then on lap 2 decided it was time to make a jump into the tussle that was occurring between Muller and Plato, and launched himself into second position. But the elated teams glory would be short lived as only a little further round red gate, approaching old hairpin Eaves went spinning off due to direct contact with Plato, who pushed Eaves off from behind.

Meanwhile Steve Soper was having some problems of his own as on lap 5 the number 44 Coupe headed into the pits, as Soper radioed in with throttle problems. But die-hard Soper would not retire and headed back out of the pit lane to rejoin the race on lap 8, and crossed the chequered flag in 9th position.

The rain clouds were looming for the start of Round 24, and all teams were left to gamble their tyre tactics before taking to the grid. Slicks were the team choice for Peugeot as Steve Soper (5th) and Dan Eaves (8th) made their 1st lap that would lead into the rolling start.

As the first five cars pulled away Steve Soper held a strong 5th position, and on the first corner Soper was already tussling with the Vauxhall of James Thompson, then decided to make his move on lap 6, to claim 4th, while further up the field Bennett spun off into the gravel after contact with Muller, which put him out of the running and pushed Soper up into 3rd position. The battle for third between Thompson and Soper thrilled the crowds lap after lap, especially when all three front running cars pulled into the pit lane at the same time to make their scheduled tyre change, but it was Peugeot that preformed the quicker stop and Soper rejoined the track ahead of the Astra and in 1st position. But Peugeots dreams of a podium finish were shattered as Steve Soper developed a brake problem and spun off at Fogarty’s, ending his race on lap 21.

Meanwhile Dan Eaves was having trouble deciding which tyres to run, as on lap 14 he came into change to wets as the safety car was deployed, then came in again on lap 17 still running under the safety car, to change back to slicks due to a drying track and the brightening weather. Yet without throwing in the towel Eaves continued his race, and crossed the line in an comfortable 5th position.

Eaves commented: ‘I decided to pit early then the safety car came out, we took a gamble and changed to wet tyres as it looked like the weather was going to get worse, but the track dried due to the long deployment of the safety car and the weather changing for the better, so I came in again to change back to slicks, but we timed it wrong and the safety car came in on the same lap – unfortunate and frustrating!’

Peugeots next outing will be for the final two rounds of the British Touring Car Championship season to be held at Brands Hatch on the 7th of October.