Innovative motorsport fan engagement platform FanDrive has joined Grassroots Innovation Centre, Oxford, as it continues to develop its technology and build on a recent partnership announcement with The British Automobile Racing Club (BARC).
The milestone partnership with BARC will see FanDrive progressively rolled out across BARC championships, with all five Caterham Motorsport UK championships and the MINI CHALLENGE Trophy already live on the platform. The company is aiming to have all BARC championships available through FanDrive for the 2027 racing season.
Founded by technology entrepreneur and racing driver Sean Murphy, FanDrive brings together driver profiles, event information, live timing, championship content and digital engagement in one accessible experience.
The idea for FanDrive came from Sean’s own experiences as a motorsport fan and competitor, combined with more than two decades of experience in technology and innovation, including senior leadership and Chief Technology Officer roles. Prior to relocating to the UK earlier this year, Sean spent 20 years in the US working with technology-focused start-ups and large corporations, including Xerox, where he led automation initiatives within one of the world’s largest business process outsourcing organisations.
As a life-long motorsport fan, Sean regularly attended motorsport events in the US, including those featuring impressive collections of classic and historic cars. However, he noticed that despite the quality of the racing and the cars on display, spectators often had little information to help them understand what was happening on track or the stories behind the cars and drivers.
“I was looking at these incredible cars and thinking, how does anyone know what’s going on?” said Sean. So, for my own race car, I put a QR code on it so people could find out more about the car and driver. That was really the start of FanDrive.
As a motorsport fan and now as a driver, I’ve seen how much more engaging motorsport becomes when you understand the people and the stories behind it. I think this has become even more significant with the popularity of Drive to Survive. That personal connection is what we want to create for fans – whether they’re at the circuit or following from somewhere else.”
Having relocated to the UK with his family earlier this year, Sean and his son are now competing in the Caterham championships themselves, giving him first-hand experience of both sides of the FanDrive experience.
Oxford was an obvious choice for the business, given its proximity to Silverstone and its strong connections to the motorsport and technology sectors. Sean was also attracted to Grassroots Innovation Centre by the opportunity to work alongside other entrepreneurs and innovative businesses.
Anna Goodman, Grassroots Centre Manager, said: “FanDrive has clearly identified a gap in the market, and it’s great to see Sean combining his passion for motorsport with his technical expertise. The partnership with BARC is fantastic news for FanDrive, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how the platform develops as it rolls out across more championships and helps bring fans closer to the sport.”
With its BARC partnership already underway and ambitious plans for the 2027 season, FanDrive is set to play an increasingly important role in connecting motorsport fans with the people, stories and action behind the racing.
