Jessi Combs: Photo Tribute After Her Passing From Fatal Crash

Jessi Combs left a powerful legacy behind after her passing on Tuesday, and no shortage of amazing photos. The 36-year-old automotive icon left fans in mourning this week, and now many are looking back on some of her greatest moments.

Combs passed away on Tuesday in the act of doing what she loved. According to a report by Popular Mechanics, she was in the Alvord Desert, attempting to break her own land-speed record set in 2013. Combs was driving her jet-powered land-speed car when she crashed, dying on the scene.

Combs’ passing was all the more sad because she was far from an amateur. In her 36 years of life, she had worked as a professional driver and a mechanic, tinkering with her own gear to achieve maximum speeds. Combs was a metal fabricator by trade, so she had an intimate knowledge of the vehicles she raced against herself in.

For this reason, there were as many photos of Combs in the garage as in the driver’s seat. The racing legend was also a frequent sight on TV and in the media, and brought All Girls Garage to life on Velocity. She was also a builder on Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters. Other TV appearances included Xtreme 4×4, Overhaulin’, Truck U, and Two Guys Garage.

However fans knew her, the fact is that she was a ubiquitous figure in her fields. Here is a look at some of the most recent photos shared by the fastest woman on four wheels, Jessi Combs.

Latest

Combs’ latest photo is a picture of herself with her hands pressed together as if in prayer, posted on Sunday. It was taken during the Wild Gypsy Tour, a women’s motorcycle adventure sports trip that Combs took part in this year. In the caption, Combs thanked all of her fans for “support and loyalty” throughout all of her endeavors.

Jet Car

Last week, Combs posted a photo of her latest jet car project — presumably the one that she was driving when she passed. The great vehicle was pictured from the back, where a massive turbine yawned towards the camera. People on Combs’ team were crowded around the car, some wearing fire-retardant clothing.

In the caption, Combs wrote about her willingness to “walk directly into the line of fire” to “achieve great things.” The post struck a tragic chord with fans after her passing just a few short days later.

At the Show

Going back further, Combs had some more light-hearted photos of her day-to-day life. In truth, this was exciting in its own way, as Combs life was a joyride as often as not. At the beginning of this month, she attended the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Campground event, where she promoted her automotive products by day and attended concerts by night. In this case, she left with a souvenir from the Snoop Dogg performance.

“Who knew all these bad ass bikers would be on their feet jamming to the old school beats,” she mused.

Birthday Wishes

Combs made a special post to thank her fans for wishing her well on her birthday back in July. Where she normally wore practical riding clothes and t-shirts, she posed here in a strapless corset, holding a rose to her face, which was heavily-lidded with make-up.

Daydreaming

Combs gave fans a candid look at her wandering state of mind back in June, where she was leaning on a work bench with her gloves as elbow cushions. She wrote that she was “caught daydreaming” in the photo about her adventures, her building projects and her beloved shop.

Eagle

Combs may be a pro when it comes to motorcycles, but she defers to experts when it comes to animals. In this case, she thanked some organizers on the Wild Gypsy Tour for helping her get this photo with a real Bald Eagle perched on her arm, as she herself sat astride her chopper.

On the Track

Back in May, Combs shared a candid shot of herself at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, watching the track intently. She stood beside fellow racecar driver Lyn St. James, both of them gesturing wildly and having a good time.

Rosie the Riveter

Finally, we can’t overlook this picture of Combs duplicating the pose of Rosie the Riveter — perhaps one of the best icons to signify what she stood for. Combs used the photo to promote an appearance as keynote speaker at the Spring Make event in April.

However, even beyond that it is clear that Combs has a kindred spirit in Rosie, the woman included on World War II posters encouraging the women who went to work in factories and shipyard while men were off at war. Combs, too, was hands on and self-made, which is likely one of the many reasons she will be so dearly missed.