HAKIN woman Kelly Paines was able to celebrate two National Autograss titles in style at the weekend.

In September Kelly, 38, was crowned Ladies Class 9 National Champion at a two day event in Thornborough.

This followed on from her claiming the British Autograss Series title in the same class earlier this year.

On Saturday, she received her trophies at a special awards ceremony at the Telford Spa and Golf Resort.

Kelly, a member of Teifi Autograss Club, first got into the sport back in 2008 when her now husband, Anthony Paines, took her to watch his brother Gareth Paines race at Castle Lloyd Farm, Pendine.

“In 2009 I started to race in Ladies Class 9, this is an open wheeler, rear wheel drive class with engines limited to 1421cc - 2070cc,” said Kelly.

“After a season of learning how to drive a rear wheel drive car, I started to get fairly good at it, winning a variety of trophies. In 2011 I won the Ladies National Champion title which was held at the Severn Valley Autograss Club in Hereford.”

Kelly continued her meteoric rise in the sport but this year her and Anthony decided it was time to buy a newly built race car from one of the top race chassis builders, Xtreme Race Cars, based in Yeovil Somerset.

The new, lighter car weighed in at 468kg and with a Honda Civic type R engine producing 240 bhp, with speeds of up to 100mph, and Kelly soon got used to it.

“After the first few meetings of setting the car up, it has been a pleasure to drive and very reliable, which in turn has been one of the reasons this year has been so very successful,” she said.

“Anthony has spent hours of time preparing it in the garage.”

At the start of this season Kelly set herself the target of winning the British Autograss Series title, a series run over five meetings held throughout the country, with the venues being Stroud, Pendine, Evesham, Hereford and York.

“I was fortunate to win the series with one meeting to spare,” she added.

“So at the Hereford meeting I was delighted to be confirmed the British Autograss Series Ladies Class Nine champion.

“A few weeks after winning this title there was another major title up for grabs in Thornborough, where the ladies and juniors national championships were taking place.”

This is a meeting held over two days, and Kelly said she went in feeling relaxed as she had already won the title I wanted.

“After the first day I was top of the points board with two out of two wins, even though we had slight technical difficulties with the car throughout the day, which we were able to fix Saturday evening.

“Autograss is very much a sport where everyone will help each other with any problems that arise mechanically. On the Sunday morning with the car at 100% I was able to take another two wins, and claim my second title of the year, Ladies class 9 National Champion.”

Kelly added her year had been “well and truly exciting,” and said she considered herself lucky to have such a supportive family.

She also thanked the company whom she works for, Pritchard and Cowburn Opticians, who allow her to work around racing weekends.