Motor Sport: McLaren's Juan Pablo Montoya will leave Formula One at the end of this season to drive in the American Nascar series.
Montoya captured the Indy 500 in 2000 and the Cart championship in 1999, but has never raced in a Nascar event.
"I am so happy to be entering the fastest growing racing league in the world," said Montoya. "I've thought about this for quite some time but the opportunity had to be right.
The 30-year-old moved to Formula One with Williams in 2001. He switched to McLaren in 2005 but has had an unhappy two seasons with the team.
He has made 137 starts between the Cart, IndyCar and Formula One, earning 18 wins, 26 pole positions and 60 top-five finishes.
Montoya and Briton Graham Hill are the only drivers in history to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the Grand Prix of Monaco.
Montoya signed a multi-year deal, becoming the first F1 regular in the 58-year history of Nascar to move to the Nextel Cup.
While the Colombian established himself as one of the elite open-wheel racers on both sides of the Atlantic he faces a sharp learning curve in the rough-and-tumble world of stock car racing.
His combative style of driving should serve him well in Nascar, the most popular form of motor racing in the United States. The hugely successful series involves cars rubbing fenders and bumping opponents to clear a path.
"I know the transition will not be easy but I can't wait to get behind the wheel," Montoya said.