Jessi Combs is remembered for being more than just a racing driver

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Participates in the 2nd Annual Boot Ride And Rally to benefit US Soldiers on August 26, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

(CNN) - Jessi Combs made a name behind the wheel, but she was more than an average runner.

Combs, 39, died Tuesday while trying to break a speed record on the ground with a propulsion car. He died in the Alvord Desert, a dry lake bed in southeastern Oregon.

There was a fire in the allowed event, an official from the Harney County Sheriff's Office said, without further comment.

"We're just trying to determine what happened," said Lt. Brian Needham. "We can't make any decisions until we get all the evidence."

READ : The racing driver Jessi Combs, known as “the fastest woman on four wheels”, dies while trying to break a record

Combs will also be remembered as a talented television presenter, a clothing designer and a passionate advocate for women.

She appeared in multiple episodes of the television show "Mythbusters", while host Kari Byron was on maternity leave. She also appeared as a presenter on shows like "All Girls Garage" and "Overhaulin '".

'She was really my unicorn'

One of his former colleagues, former "Mythbusters" host Adam Savage, told CNN that he marveled at how Combs was able to navigate in an industry that is often a boys' club.

"She was a valuable colleague in 'Mythbusters' and an excellent scientific communicator," Savage said. "We are poorer because of their loss."

Terry Madden, Combs' boyfriend, told CNN he was making plans to honor the late race driver.

On Wednesday, he posted on Instagram to express his sadness about losing the woman he loved.

“I have never loved or been loved by anyone as much as this amazing woman @thejessicombs,” Madden wrote in the post, which featured a video with photos of the couple. “She was really my unicorn and I enjoyed every minute I had with her. It was the most incredible spirit I've ever met or will meet. ”

Combs and Madden were filming a documentary together. Madden still plans to finish it.

He said he was there when his car crashed and that everything "humanly possible" was done to try to save her.

I had a clothes line

Combs became the fastest woman on four wheels in 2013 at the North American Eagle Supersonic Speed ​​Challenger, when she set a record 398 mph (640.5 kms / h). In October, Combs set a new top speed of 483.2 mph (777.3 km / h) in one run.

I was trying to go faster when it crashed on Tuesday.

In addition to racing and his television appearances, Combs had a line of welding equipment for women with Lincoln Electric. The Jessi Combs Women's Welding Gear line includes jackets, gloves and helmets.

She was also one of the co-creators of Real Deal Revolution, an online collaboration dedicated to empowering and educating women through industrial skills.

Jason Kravarik and Leah Asmelash of CNN contributed to this story.