CONCORD, N.C. -- Same date, same track, 16 years apart. March 18 marks two memorable Hendrick Motorsports wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The first came in 1991, when Ken Schrader earned his first win at the track. He had just scored a runner-up finish in the previous race at Rockingham and rode that momentum to Atlanta. It was the first of two races he won that season.
Rain delays forced the race to become a two-day event, but once the drivers were back on the track Schrader was able to lead for 59 laps in the race.
The victory gave Hendrick Motorsports its 29th Cup Series win and allowed Schrader to jump to fourth in the points standings.
Exactly 16 years later on March 18, 2007, Jimmie Johnson accomplished the same feat when he took the checkered flag first at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Johnson led 132 of the first 238 laps, but some tire issues forced him to lose the lead.
He surpassed competitor Tony Stewart with two laps to go to secure the win, which marked his second Cup Series victory in a row.
Johnson's accomplishment pushed him to fourth in the Cup Series standings and helped set him up to win the championship that season.
It marked the second time Johnson won at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He won in 2004 and went on to win three more times at the Georgia track, including a sweep during the 2007 season.