Sunday the 20th May saw the start of round 5 of the MSA www.theAA.com BTCC. After a qualifying day plagued with disasters Peugeot Sport looked as though their luck was in for a change of fortune.

After an aggressive start, spectators were surprised as they saw an unfamiliar group of the leading super toures head round the first bend, after Plato had stalled on the start line, and managed to hold back Thompson and Bennett, Kurt Luby 's Lexus IS200 had managed to squeeze itself into 2nd position with Dan Eaves taking 3rd and hot on the Luby's exhaust.

Steve Soper who due to qualifying day problems had been relegated to the back of the touring car grid, started a steady assent and was soon up amongst the action. Thompson and Bennett desperate to regain their usual leading position provided some real crowd pleasing door to door racing, which almost resulted in them knocking each other off the track, and left a clear passage for Soper to pass through.

The two Peugeot's, having slipped back behind the four leading Vauxhall's, were in a real tussle for 4th position, Steve Soper leaded the Alfa of Manager / Player Tim Harvey, while Dan Eaves was hot on his tail, also trying to fend off Kurt Luby's Lexus. The pack of four seemed inseparable as they headed through Knickerbrook chicane, and despite all efforts the order remained the same across the finish line.

Round 6, the feature race, with a marathon of 30 laps is a real test of stamina for the cars and the drivers. The undulating Cheshire circuit, with its unforgiving camber and tight chicanes will test every inch of the car to its limit.

Things were looking up for Peugeot, as the 406 Coupe of Dan Eaves passed by Tim Harvey's Alfa, putting him in 4th position, behind the three leading Vauxhalls with no sign of Phil Bennett's egg:sport Astra.

Steve Soper who was pushing hard to follow his team mate's break, found himself trapped between the Alfa of Tim Harvey and the Lexus as he swung round lodge corner. By the next lap Harvey was busy with his mandatory pit stop, giving Luby and Soper the opportunity to tussle with each other for 5th position.

With all leading Astra's completing their pit stop's, Dan Eaves the youngest driver of the super tourers was given the unfamiliar feeling of leading the race for several laps, before having to pit himself. Eaves experienced a few problems while in the pit lane, and his stop mounted to a mammoth 20+ seconds before he rejoined the field with much work to do, but only one lap on and Eaves had pulled off the circuit with electrical problems and was out of the race.

Steve Soper who also experienced some problems in the pit lane drove steadily for the rest of the race, unable to make up much time on the cars ahead of him. With Phil Bennett and Jason Plato out of the race; Steve was looking to achieve a comfortable 4th position. But disaster hit on the final lap, as black smoke started pouring from the number 44 Coupe, and Soper was unable to continue.

After an aggressive start this was a bitter blow for Peugeot Sport VLR ltd, who left the circuit disappointed, but not defeated, and vowing revenge for Silverstone.