The endurance project began when Jesus Pareja and his Brun Motorsport team were left without a sponsor at the end of 1987. Since his start in the World Championship three years earlier, Pareja had relied on tobacco sponsorship to fund his participation, but when they pulled out he was forced to look for a new backer. Repsol accepted the challenge and the Brun Porsche 962 was decorated in the company’s colours for the following campaign. Six successful years saw Pareja and his various teams, with Repsol support, raise both of their profiles in the most important endurance series in the world.
Things were looking bright for Repsol in its first year in the series. The Porsche 962 was a winning car, Brun Motorsport had been champions in 1986, Porsche continued to provide factory support and Pareja was one of the top drivers around. However, things would be more difficult than expected.
Walter Brun had put together an ambitious Formula 1 project with the Eurobrun team, in a venture which ended in failure and a lack of focus on the endurance effort. Porsche would also withhold the Motronic 1.7 electronics system from the Brun Motorsport team, making it difficult to keep up with their rivals.
All this meant that Pareja competed in just five of the eleven rounds on the calendar, taking points at three events. Jaguar and Sauber Mercedes shared the wins, with six and five triumphs, respectively. The title would go to the Silk Cut Jaguar team, and driver Martin Brundle.
The first race in which Repsol competed was the Jerez 800km. Pareja was accompanied by speedy teammate Oscar Larrauri. They both did an excellent job in practice, but the engine of their Porsche broke in the race just after Pareja had lost six minutes to an off-track excursion.
After that first retirement, the team would enter the Jarama 360km. Pareja and Larrarui would take their Porsche up to fifth place in practice, just behind the Sauber Mercedes and Jaguar teams. In the race things went even better, as much time was spent in an unexpected third position.
However, two laps from the end Larrauri crossed the line at a slow pace. He was running out of fuel, and would only crawl past the chequered flag in a disappointing sixth. The efforts of the previous 2 hours had been in vain. At Monza, Pareja was paired with new teammate Manuel Reuter, who coincidentally destroyed his vehicle in a crash with Larrauri.
After missing the race at Silverstone, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was next up for the team. Pareja was accompanied by Massimo Sigala and Uwe Schaffer for the prestigious event, for which the Repsol outfit was the third fastest Porsche in qualifying. In the race, after an excellent first stint by Pareja, an oil pump issue dropped them down the order. They would recover to move back up to fifth, before a brake issue led to their placing seventh in their maiden 24-hour outing.
In the next two races, at Brno and Brands Hatch, nothing seemed to go Brun Motorport’s way. Finally, at Nurburgring, they made a last-minute decision to participate. Reuter came back in to partner Pareja and, after some positive practice sessions, the two-stint race was a success for the Repsol squad. In the first stint they were fourth, and second in the final stint gave them fifth overall. The definitive standings for the season did not make for such pleasant reading: Pareja was 19th, and Brun Motorsport fourth.
To end the season, Pare¬ja and Walter Brun took part in the Sport Prototype World Cup in Tampa, Florida. Pareja would again be forced to retire with an engine issue, whilst running in ninth.
