Jessi Combs 39, died on Aug. 27 while trying to break her own land-speed record in southeast Oregon, according to Road And Track. The driver, dubbed the “Fasted Woman On Four Wheels,” was piloting a jet-powered land-speed card on the Alvord Desert — a dry lake bed where several land-speed records have been set — when she suffered the fatal crash. The Harney County Sheriff’s Office said it received a 911 call about an accident shortly after 4 pm, according to local reports. Though the authorities withheld the name of the victim, one member of Jessi’s team, Terry Madden, confirmed her death the following morning.
“I have never loved or been loved by anyone as much as this amazing woman [Jessi] she was truly my unicorn, and I enjoyed every single minute that I had with her,” he wrote on Instagram. ”She was the most amazing spirit that I have ever or will ever know. Unfortunately, we lost her yesterday in a horrific accident, I was the first one there and trust me we did everything humanly possible to save her!! I’m not ok, but she is right here keeping [me] going.” Terry said the family will release an official statement later on Aug. 28. As her friends, fans and family reel from this shock, here’s the scoop on this amazing woman.
She set the land-speed record in 2013. Born in Rapid City, South Dakota on July 27, 1983, Jessi would grow up to be one of the fastest women on the planet. On Oct. 9, 2013, she broke a 48-year-old women’s land speed record. She drove the North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger in the Alvord desert, setting the record at 398.954 mph.
Jessi was also an accomplished-off road racer. In addition to setting the land-speed record, Jessi was the first woman to place at Ultra4’s King of the Hammers. She took home a Class 10 podium finish at the Baja 100, per Road And Track, and became the first woman to compete in The Race of Gentlemen, racing a twin-engine 1913 Ford Model T. She had a first-place finish at the King of Hammers in 2016, which earned her the nickname, “Queen of Hammers.” In the racing world, she didn’t just break the glass ceiling, she drove a car right through it.
She was more than just a driver. In addition to being a talented driver, Jessi was known as being a skilled builder and fabricator. She graduated from WyoTech with a degree in costive automotive fabrication. She represented the American Welding Society, according to Jalopnik, and even designed her own line of women’s welding gear.
“I have a natural desire to be the best and to win, and so I learned how to fabricate,” she said in a 2014 interview. “It helps me become a better driver because I understand what’s going on internally and externally with my cars.”
Jessi was also a television star. Jessi a host and expert on shows like Xtreme 4×4, Overhaulin’, Truck U, and Two Guys Garage. She also was a host and builder on a season of Mythbusters.
Her great-grandmother got her in driving. “My father’s a mechanical engineer,” she told The Drive in 2017. “My great-grandmother used to race cars, so she would race anything from like Stanley steamers to Volkswagen Beetles. She would put all of these miles on these cloth tires, that were well beyond their rating. They were Goodrich tires…she ended up becoming a spokesmodel for Goodrich tires.”
Our thoughts are with Jessi’s family, friends, and fans during this time.