If you’ve ever sat watching a speed record being broken like myself, odds are you know the feeling of witnessing such a powerful event.
The hairs go up on the back of your neck, your palms get sweaty and you can feel the air’s pressure hitting the nose of the machine.
Today, we pay homage to a brave soul that scored the title of ‘The Fastest Woman on Earth,’ as per her documentary now live on HBO.
Jessi Combs in her racing machine. Media sourced from Popular Mechanics.While 2019 may have seemed like one of the last ‘normal years,’ American professional racer, television personality, and metal fabricator Jessi Combs was identifying her time differently: She was feeding her need for speed.
August 27 of that same year saw the previous female land speed record broken by Combs in the Alvord Desert, Oregon, with her unfortunate demise occurring later that same day.
Any guess as to how fast Combs was able to go?
Jessi Combs’s racing machine. Media sourced from Flickr.“The official speed recorded by Guinness was 841.338 kilometers per hour, which is also 522.783 miles per hour,” states a report from RideApart.
“Prior to Combs, the title was held by Kitty O’Neil, who set her record of 512 mph way back in 1976.”
If there is one thing that sticks out in this documentary, it’s that Jessi Combs was born to go fast; in the trailer, Combs even asks O’Neil for her blessing to contend the record.
I had entered the motorcycle scene a mere year later, but I was inspired by the legacy left by such a strong woman; to have this homage to her life’s goal made globally available, then, is something Combs would have certainly smiled upon.
Jessi Combs, American racer and the fastest female in the world. Media sourced from the Des Moines Register.Rest easy wherever you are, Combs – and until then, we will remember your achievements by hitting ‘Play’ and feeling the air with you.
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Drop a comment below letting us know what you think, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.