When Kari Byron took maternity leave from "MythBusters" in 2009, car expert, racer, and automotive fabricator Jessi Combs occupied the open spot on the "Build Team." It would be a star-making turn for Combs. Co-starring on just nine episodes of "MythBusters," Combs would be featured in many other vehicular and building-themed reality programs, including "All Girls Garage," "Overhaulin'," "Jay Leno's Garage," and "How to Build... Everything."
Not long after her stint on "MythBusters," Combs dedicated herself to the goal of setting a new land speed record. In 2013, Combs became known as "the fastest woman on four wheels" when she piloted a jet-powered car to 398 miles per hour. Five years later, Combs demolished her own record, reaching 483 miles per hour in the jet-based North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger high-performance vehicle. On August 27, 2019, Combs would try to top herself once more, aiming to hit 512 miles per hour in an attempt during a run through the desert in eastern Oregon. A foreign object collided with a front wheel, and Combs lost control of the vehicle, tragically becoming one of the people who died attempting a world record. Combs was 39 years old.
