‘Mythbusters’ Stars, Jay Leno Pay Tribute to Racer Jessi Combs After Fatal Crash

“In memory of the fastest woman on four wheels,” Leno tweets

Jessi Combs
Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

“Mythbusters” stars Adam Savage, Kari Byron and Tory Belleci were among those paying tribute to the late race car driver Jessi Combs following after she died in a crash on Tuesday.

“She was a brilliant & too-notch builder, engineer, driver, fabricator, and science communicator, & strove everyday to encourage others by her prodigious example,” Savage wrote in a tweet on Wednesday. “She was also a colleague, and we are lesser for her absence.”

Jay Leno, who hosted the driver on an episode of his CNBC show, “Jay Leno’s Garage,” also paid tribute to Combs on Twitter, writing, “Your memory lives on.”

Known as “The fastest woman on four wheels,” Combs died while trying to break her own 398 mph land-speed record in a dry lake bed in an Oregon desert. In addition to her stint as a temporary co-host of Discovery’s “Mythbusters” in 2009, Combs also appeared on a number of TV shows dedicated to racing and automobiles, including Velocity’s “Overhaulin’” and the Spike TV series “Xtreme 4×4.”

Those who encountered Combs in her career as a driver and TV personality remembered her as a “badass” driver, a passionate contributor to her industry and a hero to many.

“The Discovery and MotorTrend family is deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Jessi Combs,” Discovery said in a statement. “She was a friend and colleague, an icon in the industry, and an undeniable force of nature who left an indelible mark on the car world. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1t6C4cg6ZE/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1tjyb_hLgf/

Reid Nakamura

TV reporter • reid.nakamura@thewrap.com • Twitter: @reidnakamura

Comments