Buddy Antunez

Buddy Antunez was racing before he could touch the ground. At three years old, his dad held him upright behind the starting gate, then ran around the track in case Buddy fell and couldn’t lift the bike.

He became one of the most decorated amateurs of his generation, earned factory support as a child and signed a paid Suzuki contract at 14. Buddy grew up battling Jimmy Button and Jeff Emig, riding Reche Canyon with the Moto Rat Pack and eventually becoming McGrath’s teammate on Peak Honda. In 1992, he finished second to MC nearly every weekend and received an early lesson in how the future King operated.

By 1996, Buddy was the top privateer in the outdoor championship, finishing fourth while racing an exhausting 49 weekends that year. When another factory seat failed to appear, Denny Stephenson pointed him in a new direction, a series called Arenacross.

The shorter, tighter tracks fit Buddy’s explosive corner speed perfectly. Antunez won five championships and more than 100 main events, becoming one of the discipline’s defining stars.

Budman also knew Jeremy and Jeff before fame distorted everything. He remained close with MC, but when Fro challenged him for the 1997 Supercross title, Buddy quietly rooted for Emig. Jeremy had ruled long enough. It was “Fro time.”