McLaren's Juan Pablo Montoya will leave Formula One at the end of this season to drive in NASCAR, re-uniting the Colombian with car owner Chip Ganassi, it was announced yesterday.

Ganassi announced the surprise move ahead of yesterday's NASCAR race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.

Montoya won the Indy 500 in 2000 and the CART championship in 1999, driving for Ganassi, but has never driven in a NASCAR event.

The 30-year-old Colombian moved to F1 with Williams in 2001 before switching to McLaren in 2005.

Montoya signed a multi-year deal, becoming the first F1 regular to move to the Nextel Cup.

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