Guinness World Records Posthumously Awards Race Car Driver Jessi Combs

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.