Jessi Combs: The Fastest Woman on Earth

It’s official. Nearly a year after Jessi Combs was killed attempting to break the land-speed record, Guinness World Records has officially made her the fastest woman on earth. The “fastest land-speed record (female)” mark has now been set at 522.8 mph. It’s about time.

The Tragic Event

Combs was killed on August 27, 2019, at 39 years old in southern Oregon’s Alvord Desert while behind the wheel of a 52,000-hp jet car called the North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger. Tragedy struck when its front tire contacted an unknown object, causing the wheel to fail. Unfortunately, Jessi died of blunt-force trauma while chasing the previous record of 512.7 mph set in 1976 by stuntwoman Kitty O’Neil.

Jessi had made one run at 515.3 mph and hit an astounding 548.4 mph when the accident occurred. Typically, land-speed records consist of a two-way average of two runs that must be completed within 60 minutes of one another. How Guinness arrived at 522.8 mph, when the average is actually 531.9 mph, remains an open question that might be clarified through complex calculations of distance traveled at speed across the two runs. Nevertheless, if I were in charge, I would award her the record at 548.4 mph and call it a day.

The Legacy of an Icon

I was fortunate enough to meet Jessi a couple of times back when we worked for Autoblog. Although I didn’t know her well, during one video shoot together, I was impressed by her professionalism and natural talent. Many others recognized this too, as she went on to host popular shows such as Mythbusters, All Girls Garage, and Overhaulin’.

Moreover, Jessi Combs competed in various forms of off-road racing, from the Baja 1000 to the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles to the King of the Hammers. Her remarkable efforts in the latter earned her the cherished nickname, “Queen of the Hammers.” Therefore, Jessi Combs will now be celebrated as the fastest woman on four wheels, a title that should stand for quite some time.

Godspeed once again, Jessi.