The key person in the entire process was Jes�s Sainz, vice-president of RACE (The Royal Automobile Club in Spain). He was the first to give form to the idea of an association between REPESA, producer of oil products, and a racing team.

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Together with the Conde de Villapadierna, President of Federaci�n Espa�ola de Automovilismo, (Spanish Automobile Federation), he contacted the Italian car-racing team, the Jolly Club. The president of this club was Paolo de Leonibus, while its sports manager was Roberto Angiolini, the man who would become the driving force behind the Jolly Club.

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Around 1964 or 1965, the Jolly Club, with its Alfas and Lancias, was frequently invited to participate in the rallies of Galicia. For the Italians, the route through the R�as Bajas or the R�as Altas was a mix of work and pleasure, sport and holidays. However, their presence in Spain led to the creation of a connection between their organization and the Spanish drivers with the greatest potential in that era:� Jaime Lazcano, Alberto Ruiz Gim�nez, Eladio Doncel, etc. A connection that would grow increasingly stronger until February of 1969, when it would be given a definite form.�

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In that year RACE, led by its president Gil de Rebole�o and particularly its vice-president Sainz, backed by Federaci�n Espa�ola, made the presidency of REPESA, with Luis Valero Bermejo at its head, aware of a new project for the creation of a motor sports team that would be sponsored by Repsol; a project which would also be backed by Carlos S�nchez Sicilia, the vice-president of REPESA, and which would take various Spanish Championships into account, devising a programme that ranged from rallies, uphill racing to speed circuits.

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Once the agreement with REPESA, as the main and basically the sole sponsor of the new Repsol motor-racing team had been signed, the technical side, supply of cars, infrastructure, maintenance, assistance, etc�, was put into the hands of the Jolly Club.

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It was as a result of this that in 1969 and 1970 the Repsol logo appeared for the first time on racing cars such as Alfa Romeos, Lancia Fulvia HF�s and later on, some Porsches; the renowned white �R� on a navy blue background, formed by a red bull�s-eye and surrounded by white and red rings, while the white inscription, Repsol Jolly Club, was visible on the front wings. The question was, who would be the first drivers of the recently created Repsol Motor Racing Team.�