Manny Ayulo

20/10/1921 - 16/5/1955

Record updated 10-Mar-08

Manuel Ayulo raced at Indy four times finishing 3rd in 1951 driving relief for his friend Jack McGrath. He drove with Jackin the Carrera Panamericana finishing third in class in 1953. He was killed in practice for the 1955 Indy 500.

Manuel Ayulo was born in Burbank, California.

He tried to qualify for the Indy 500 in 1948 in a Mercury powered car entered by Conrad Weidel and again in 1948 with Karl Hall-Offenhauser roadster. Another DNQ followed in 1949, this time at the wheel of Karl Hall's Offenhauser car and yet another in 1950 with the Coast Grain Maserati-Offenhauser.

He entered the 1951 running in the Coast Grain Lesovsky-Offenhauser once again failing to qualify however in the race he drove relief for Jack McGrath in Jack Hinkle's Kurtis KK3000-Offenhauser, taking the car over the line in 3rd spot.

He was back the following year driving a  Lesovsky-Offenhauser. He qualified in his own right in 28th place. In the race finished 16 laps down on Troy Ruttman, the eventual winner.

In 1953 he qualified a Kuzma-Offenhauser in 4th spot for Indy but in the race went out with engine problems after 184 laps. That year he also drove a Lincoln Capri in the Carrera Panamericana with Jack McGrath, finishing 9th overall and 3rd in class and came second in the inaugural "Hoosier Hundred" behind Bob Sweikert.

Another poor qualifying attenpt at Indy in 1954 saw him line up in 22nd place. In the race he finished 13th, 3 laps down on Bill Vukovich. Manuel and Jack McGrath drove for Licoln in the Carrera Panamericana again but crashed out on the first stage.

He had a bad accident in turn one while qualifying for the Indy 500 in 1955 and died later from his injuries. That year at Indy, Bill Vukovich going for his third consecutive win was also killed.



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