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As Savant Young carefully wipes down his charcoal gray 1973 Mazda RX-3 inside the Vintage Japanese Motor Union clubhouse, he pauses to apologize for being so focused on his car.

Exposed brick walls are decorated with photos and retro posters of vintage cars and racetracks, as well as street signs, racing suits and brand memorabilia, from Michelin to Mazda.

Alongside Young’s RX-3 was Barbachan’s red ’72 Mazda RX-2, while Trujillo brought a vintage Mazda rotary engine pickup truck to the mix, as did Cabral with his ’74 sky-blue REPU.

Mendez didn’t drive a Mazda, but his ’73 white Toyota Corolla still fit squarely within the pre-1975 Japanese car wheelhouse.

We also didn’t want to wait too long, get stuck in traffic, and abandon our Mazda on the side of the road as we had to outrun a ball of fire on foot.