Guinness World Records has posthumously rewarded race car driver and TV personality Jessi Combs with the fastest land speed record for a woman.
Combs died on 27 August 2019 in Oregon, attempting to hit 619 mph, but lost control of her jet-powered North American Eagle after it hit a rock, causing the car to burst into flames. She had managed to complete two high-speed runs, one at 515.346 mph and one at 548.432 mph, but Guinness verified 840 km/h (522.783 mph) as her record.
It is the first time the fastest speed on land has been achieved by a woman since Kitty O'Neil set a record in the category in 1976, hitting 823.9 km/h (512.7 mph).
Combs was known as "the fastest woman on four wheels". In 2016, she broke her own record of 640.5 km/h (398 mph), which she set in 2013.
In 2009, Combs also appeared as a co-host in the "7th season of Mythbusters" instead of Kari Byron, and appeared as a guest fabricator on "Overhaulin".
She was 39 years old when she died.
