Race car driver Jessi Combs has died in a crash while trying to break a speed record.
The Harney County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wednesday that Ms Combs died in the incident in Oregon's Alvord Desert on Tuesday.
Sheriff's Lt. Brian Needham said the cause of the accident is under investigation.
According to Car and Driver, the 36-year-old is widely known in racing circles as the "fastest woman on four wheels".
A statement from her family said: "Jessica's most notable dream was to become the fastest woman on Earth, a dream she had been chasing since 2012.
"Combs was one of the rare dreamers with the bravery to turn those possibilities into reality, and she left this earth driving faster than any other woman in history."
She broke a record in 2013 with a run of 393 mph.
The Long Beach, California, resident said on Instagram on Sunday that she wanted to break 512 mph.
She wrote: "People say I'm crazy. I say thank you."
Ms Combs, who began her career as a builder of hot-rod cars, was seen on television in a number of auto shows, including "Overhaulin'," "Truck U," "MythBusters" and "All Girls Garage."
Her close friend and teammate Terry Madden called her an "amazing spirit."
"Unfortunately we lost her yesterday in a horrific accident, I was the first one there and trust me we did everything humanly possible to save her!!," he said in an Instagram posting.
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