Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

SPEED Channel on-air personality Greg White will ride a factory Yamaha YZF-R6 in the AMA Supersport race this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park.

“I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” said White Friday morning before going out for his first practice.

White has use of a factory Yamaha, a factory mechanic in Jason Haines (David Vullemin’s factory Yamaha Supercross mechanic), custom Alpinestars leathers made to replicate those worn by the factory Yamaha riders and his own posters with an action photo of him on the bike.

White, a former full-time AMA racer who finished a career-best of eighth in a Formula Xtreme race in 2000, says his experience will be a feature story on his show “Greg’s Garage.” The feature is being referred to as “Factory Rider for a Day.”

Pointing out that he hadn’t raced in four weeks, White said his first goal is to simply make the grid and his ultimate goal would be to finish in the top 15, among the factory bikes and ahead of the privateer racers.

White was 32nd in the first Supersport practice Friday morning with a 1:36.911. Well behind his Yamaha “teammate” Jamie Hacking, who led the session with a 1:29.113.

White will be a busy man during the weekend. In addition to practicing in Supersport and Superstock sessions, qualifying and racing in Supersport, White will also still have to fill his role as pitlane reporter during the other races broadcast by SPEED.