The first-ever showcase of Formula DRIFT took place in Panama City, with some of the top Formula D drivers taking their cars south for the demo. Formula DRIFT is a high-powered motor sport where drivers intentionally manoeuvre their cars into well-executed, controlled sideways slides at high speeds through a marked course. Judged on execution and style, rather than who finishes the course in the fastest time, Drifting is a guaranteed crowd pleaser, and is often compared to the freestyle nature of skateboarding and motocross.
Jobo Productions had to face considerable challenges for this event; with the racetrack positioned between the stage (and sound system) and the audience, the PA system had to throw nearly 150mto the front row. And the sound had to be intelligible at a comfortable level over the noise of the cars.
A dramatically different event was the final rally of the presidential election, held for supermarket magnate Ricardo Martinelli, who would ultimately be confirmed as the new President of Panama.
Jobo's technical engineer Ernest de Gracia reports, "When the PA equipment arrived on the day, the organisers almost refused to accept it - saying it was too small to handle the task. Once they actually listened to the system, they dismissed the critics and everything went ahead without any hitch."
All Jobo systems are configured using EtherSound control, and are powered by Camco amplifiers.
(Jim Evans)
