While attempting to beat her 2013 land speed record of 398 mph, professional racer Jessi Combs crashed her 52,000 horsepower jet-powered car in Alvord Desert in southeast Oregon and died.
According to a biography from Comb’s team partner North American Eagle, Combs broke the previous women’s four-wheeled land speed record, setting a speed of 398 mph in 2013 with the same jet-powered North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger, modeled around a decommissioned F-104 fighter jet.
Comb’s team announced the racer had set a new top speed of 483.227 mph in 2018 during a commemorative “shakedown run” for North American Eagle co-founder Ed Shadle, who had died of cancer. Comb’s met her top-speed in the jet-powered car before a panel broke from the car and flew into the engine intake forcing a stop to the run. She described the mechanical failure as an unfortunate end to an otherwise successful shakedown run for the land speed contender.
The 36-year-old Combs had alluded to efforts at setting another record in a recent Instagram post from two weeks ago.
Terry Madden, a member on Comb’s team confirmed the accident and Comb’s death by Instagram post Wednesday morning.
“She was the most amazing spirit that I have ever or will ever know,” Madden’s post read.
Madden described his initial response as one of the first on seen after the crash and said the team did everything they could to save Combs.
Madden’s post went on to mention someone had tried to profit off the news of Combs’ death, and Madden warned Combs’ supporters not to be duped into donating to any commemorative funds for Combs until the team has had time to prepare a foundation for her.
Combs had previously appeared on television shows such including All Girls Garage, Overhaulin, Jay Leno’s Garage, and Mythbusters. She had reportedly been involved in a number of projects as well, including a line of women’s welding equipment and a documentary, which Madden said would be completed in her memory.
Combs had competed in a variety of races and her website cites a number of career highlights, beginning with a second place Baja 1000 finish in 2011, and building on her career with victories at various Ultra4 races, including the 2016 victory at the Ultra 4 King of the Hammers race, earning her the title of the races first “Queen of the Hammers.”
Combs’ last effort in the Alvord Dessert was one of the many land-speed attempts made in that desert by her and other racers. Another racer, Kitty O’Neil set a record in Alvord of 512.7 mph in 1976 in a three-wheeled vehicle. O’Neil died of Pnuemonia in November of last year at 72-years-old.
