Williams: We forgot to bring grid girls.

They 'forgot' the engine for the British Touring Car Championship launch day just under two weeks ago, but this time newcomers to the top UK tin top series SpeedEquipe have made a far more grievous error as they forgot to provision for grid girls as they take to the circuit for their first start in the series.

The HPI Racing Friends Reunited squad has been working flat out to prepare its self-built Lexus IS200 cars for their debut at Donington Park and through grafting in volunteers the Lexus of driver Richard Williams was ready to get on track at Donington this weekend for its debut.

"I'm just chuffed to bits that the car is running and we managed to get it out there," Williams told Crash.net Radio about the last minute efforts to bolt everything together and get the car on circuit.

"It's absolutely madness, but that's what we're here to do and the team has achieved their objective to produce, from scratch, a stunning looking car."

Extensive work was still being done to the car on Saturday and only tentative exploratory laps were made in the free practice sessions meaning that a special dispensation was allowed for the Lexus to take to the track during lunch to shakedown the car.

After that, it was qualifying. "I believe in qualifying we were seven seconds off the fastest pace, which for a car that's only done half a dozen laps this morning is a great achievement in itself," said Williams after his, and the car's, first BTCC qualifying.

With the Lexus qualified in eleventh for its first race in the British tin top series, the next thing of importance is making the grid for that race, and lining up next to the team's grid girls, if you have them.

"The importance of having grid girls is something that to be honest has not been at the top of the list," concedes Richie, "I don't know what to say about the grid girls really, we'll have some for the next meeting and I'm very much looking forward to having that part of the experience."

There was still time for some last minute efforts in that direction however.

"We might go and have a few beers in Nottingham and see what we can rustle up!"

Would you like to be Richie Williams grid girl this year? Send your details and a picture to btcc@crash.net and we'll see what we can do...