Jed Abrams

Jed Abrams is a disgraced Formula X driver who became a raider after the Great War. He helped found the Highwaymen and was the group's first leader, reigning from 2077 until his death in 2103.

Background
Formula X Grand Prix champion Jed Abrams was once a household name. A true rock star of the sport, Abrams had thousands of fans worldwide. That all changed in 2072 however when Jed's win of the Belle Isle Grand Prix was forfeited. After causing a brutal crash that left two dead, Jed tested positive for Buffout, X-Cell, and an experimental military chem dubbed "Psycho". Abrams was shamed and made a mockery of. Former fans burned his merchandise. His life was a downward spiral closely covered by the tabloids. Finally, in 2077 Jed was invited back to compete after being sober for nearly two years. The Belle Isle Grand Prix was to be his return, five full years after being kicked out, and Jed wasn't going to waste the opportunity. Some drivers were given fancy accommodations at the Athena Hotel while Jed was put up at a small motel in Redford, but he didn't care. His mind was focused on winning the race and what it could mean for him. He could be on top again, instead of rock bottom. Unfortunately for Jed Abrams, the bombs fell the day before the race was to be held. Jed never got a chance to be on top again and he cared about that a lot more than the nuclear destruction.

Angry at the world for denying him his shot, Jed rarely left his motel room. He met Gus Ochoa through a mutual contact, a local delinquent Jed bought chems from. Word was Gus and his crew were fixing up cars to plunder outlying settlements and they needed a driver. Jed agreed, anything to pay for his old habits he'd fallen back into. The first few raids were a breeze, the farmers never knew what hit them. And afterward, Jed started gaining somewhat of a following. The people knew who he was before the War and now he was the guy feeding people. Jed was a rock star again. The group grew, more drivers were recruited, and the Highwaymen were formed, named for their plundering ways as well as their trademark vehicles, the Chryslus Highwayman. However Jed and the Highwaymen didn't go unchallenged for long. The Mechanics, a group of do-gooders laughably trying to fix the apocalypse, had repaired a number of vehicles as well, to protect the outlying farms and send supply convoys to said farms. That didn't matter to Jed, those supply convoys were good targets and his personal vehicle was capable of taking them out itself.

Jed ruled the Highwaymen until his death in 2103. While in combat with a police cruiser, Jed was shot in the side. However he still managed to drive home to the garage before he bled out. His vehicle, and crown, passed to his son, then his grandson. And Jed's legacy is still carried out by the Highwaymen to this day, roaming the roads and taking what they want.