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Remembering Jessi Combs: “The Fastest Woman On Four Wheels”

By Dave Cruikshank August 28, 2019
Jessi Combs 36, died on Aug. 27 while trying to break her own land-speed record in southeast Oregon, according to CNN. Combs, dubbed the “Fasted Woman On Four Wheels,” was piloting a jet-powered land-speed car 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 never met Jessi personally, but she did drop in at Power Automedia to do a shoot a few years back and her presence was palpable that day. We covered her story in a Rod Authority article from 2014 and now sadly, the interview is a poignant look back.

After I heard the news, I scrolled through Jessi’s Facebook page. A post there resonated with me and might be the best insight to what drove her to be the gearhead, media personality, and racer that she was.



Her quote with the pic was telling as well. “Need I explain more? Now go put your shark pants on and chase the day! ”
#gogetem #sharkbite #sharkshit #motivation
#hungry #frickinlaseronthefrickinsharkshead

What a way to live. It was easy to see she practiced that ethos by all she achieved, even in death. Though her life was hectic, she found time to be involved with SEMA and volunteer work as well.

Many people knew Jessi from her off-road exploits and we covered her in an Off-Road Xtreme article as well.





Off-Road Xtreme Editor Steve Olsewski remembers Jessi: “She was someone many people in the off-road community looked forward to seeing in the dirt. Whether it was on the trails in Moab or racing at King of the Hammers, Combs was deeply imbedded and loved in the off-road community.