Californian Michael Beck, 20, will fill in for GMT 94 Yamaha’s injured rider David Checa during the Monza round of the Superbike World Championship, May 9-11. Checa suffered a dislocated hip when he crashed on the seventh lap of World Superbike Race One at Assen and is expected to be out for three weeks, according to postings on the French team’s official website. Checa, the younger brother of Carlos Checa, has only scored points in two of the four races he has competed in so far this season. “It was a last-minute deal,” Beck told Roadracingworld.com shortly after getting an expedited passport Monday afternoon. “I literally talked to Murph [Michael Murphy, of Hardcard Holdings] Friday. Then he called me back today and said, ‘Get your passport, and let’s get going.’ I was like, ‘No, this can’t be real!'” In fact, Murphy told Roadracingworld.com that he got final approval on the deal at 2:00 a.m. California time, called Beck shortly thereafter and then called AMA as soon as it opened Monday morning to arrange an FIM license for Beck. Beck currently races a Dunlop-shod Yamaha YZF-R6 as a privateer in the AMA Supersport Championship and is 15th in the point standings. Although he has recent experience on Pirelli tires (the control tire of the Superbike World Championship), on Yamaha YZF-R1s and on Superbikes, and has ambitions to race in International competition full-time, Beck said he is going into the adventure with modest expectations and goals. “I think it will just be good to go out there and work well with the team, get familiar with the track and do the best I’m capable of doing,” said Beck, before adding he would be happy to get inside the top 15 in a race. “The team said no pressure, that they just wanted to give an opportunity to a young American rider and see how things go as far as future possibilities.” More, from a press release issued by Hardcard Holdings: Michael Beck to ride a Yamaha R1 in World Superbike Event at Monza. AMA Supersport regular Michael Beck will substitute for the injured David Checa on the Yamaha GMT-94 Superbike this weekend at the Italian round of the World Superbike Championship at Monza. Beck burst onto the racing scene in 2005 successfully competing on a Yamaha R1 as a teenager at Willow Springs. The nature of Beck’s fast home track is perfect training for the high-speed Monza circuit where horsepower and drafting are the keys to success. The twenty-year-old Beck received his U.S. passport on Monday and will be heading overseas for the first time. Yamaha GMT-94 (www.gmt94.fr) is a well-established and successful World Endurance Team competing in their first season in World Superbike. Michael Beck: “Murph (Hardcard’s Michael Murphy) called me on Friday to ask me what I was doing next weekend, then asked if I was interested in racing a World Superbike at Monza. Next thing you know, I’m filling out my passport information, FIM license and making flight arrangements. It hasn’t quite sunk in yet that this is all real. Going to Europe to race motorcycles is most racers’ dream. Now I’m going over to race World Superbike with a professional and established team like GMT94… I can’t believe it!” About Hardcard Hardcard Holdings, LLC, is a leading motorsports management and consulting firm specializing in motorsports and motorcycle related marketing. Current Hardcard clients include Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Barber Motorsports Park, Red Bull, Axio, Campos Creative Works and Bell Helmets. Hardcard athletes include Aaron Gobert, Ben Thompson, Chad Lewin and Corey Rech see www.hardcard.net.