Jolly Gancia chief mechanic was Giuseppe Perego, a Milanese who had worked for Isotta Fraschini and Maserati, under Guerino Bertocchi.
After growing up in Brazil, Carlo studied in Switzerland, UK and in San Diego, California where he obtained an MBA.
[2] Gancia was involved in motorsport from an early age, helping Brazilians get into Formula One, drivers such as Emerson Fittipaldi, Carlos Pace and Nelson Piquet to obtain sponsorship.
[2] By 1992, Gancia was assisting Pedro Diniz's racing career, and met Italian Formula 3000 team owner Guido Forti.
When Diniz broke his original three-year contract with the team by moving to Ligier for 1996, much of the sponsorship disappeared and Gancia looked towards Indy Car racing as an alternative.