To celebrate Father’s day and kick off summer, lifestyle influencer Sasha Exeter is giving her dad Festus the ultimate gift: a high-performance racetrack driving experience with BMW! On June 16, Sasha and a group of her close friends and family took to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Ontario to increase their skill and adrenaline levels on the track while test driving select BMW vehicles, including the new M3 and M4. We chatted with Sasha and Festus about the experience. —Noa Nichol
Photo by Lucas Scarfone
Hello Sasha and Festus! Please tell us a bit about yourselves to start.
Hello! My name is Sasha Exeter and I am a global brand marketer and former elite athlete and please meet my dad, Festus, who is a semi-retired business and design consultant.
Sasha, would you call yourself a Daddy’s Girl? What’s the relationship between the two of you like?
I would say for the most part I am. We are very close and extremely alike, so we definitely butt heads from time to time. He is not just my dad but my mentor, friend, counsellor in chief, coach and my rock. He is a gentle giant who is tough as nails, but also wildly compassionate. He’s pretty much my everything (mum, too; HI MUM!!!).
What an amazing Father’s Day gift you’re giving Sasha, and receiving, Festus, in the form of a high-performance racetrack driving experience with BMW! Sasha, why is this the perfect gift for you dad?
My dad and I share a lot of things in common but our passion for cars is on top of the list for sure. When I was about six years old, he used to play a game with me while we were driving, where he would point out different vehicles on the road and tell me an anecdote or some little known fact about the brand or model. By the time I was eight, that game turned into him pointing to cars on the road and me telling him all about the brand and the model of the vehicle. We could have literally spent hours talking about cars and driving them together.
Festus, what were you looking forward to most about this unique experience? Any nerves?
I was not nervous, more excited! I don’t believe in nerves; I believe in getting prepared and then getting excited. I was the same with Sasha on the tennis court and in life and it has served her pretty well, I think.
Are you both car fans? Race fans? Adrenaline junkies? Will this be a bonding experience as well?
We are definitely car fans and race fans. I think I am more into F1 than my dad though. I don’t miss a race. Are we adrenaline junkies? No, I don’t think so.
What was the experience like (be honest!)?
S: Our track day together was INCREDIBLE. I have dreamt of a day like this with dad for my entire life. My dad, both parents actually, are a part of BMW family, so it all tied together so well. I think it’s safe to say dad had a phenomenal time by the look on his face in all the photos and videos I captured throughout the day. To our surprise, the vehicle line-up included some amazing cars from the M-series. We are ALL about that category – the power, the performance, and agility. I think the standout of the day for dad was the 2021 BMW M5 Competition. There was so much hp under that hood and it was super fun to watch him push it to the limits on the track. I got pretty stocked driving the 2020 BMW M2 CS. Manual transmission will eventually disappear from most automotive manufacturers line-ups, but I’ve always preferred driving it over automatic. It held the track so well and it was a dream to drive.
F: The 2021 M5 Competition in Imola Red with a Black and Midrand Beige interior was indeed THE car of the day. I don’t even think I would know what to do with all that car and all its power if I owned it. I would be causing a lot of trouble on the 401.
Final question for Sasha: how will you ever top this Father’s Day gift? Got any surprises in store for next year?!
I will never tell but it may involve cars again but this time in Germany.
share:
Be the first to comment