BATLEY-born businessman and racing driver Lawrence Tomlinson will introduce former land speed world record holder Richard Noble to the podium at tonight’s Yorkshire IoD Director of the Year Awards.

Fresh from winning the Britcar MSA Endurance Championship at Snetterton, Mr Tomlinson, chairman of the LNT Group, will also promote the brand which has just wowed Chinese buyers who’ve signed up for 50 cars a year over three years.

He raced to victory in the three hour endurance race leaving Porsche and Ferrari in his tracks.

Mr Tomlinson, who employs 1,700 people, mainly in Yorkshire, is taking the G60 and G40R Ginetta cars to the York National Railway Museum, where the Institute of Directors will stage this year’s awards.

He said: “Yorkshire IoD wanted to showcase Yorkshire talent at the awards dinner and invited us to take the newly-launched road cars.

“Diners won’t be able to take a spin but they can have a good look before the attention switches to the business winners.”

Last Year, Mr Lawrence was named Yorkshire Entrepreneur of the Year and Yorkshire Director of the Year and this year has been shortlisted for the national IoD Director of the Year awards to be announced.