About Darren Mayer

Darren Mayer is the founder and principal engineer of DMPE Inc., a Stevensville, Michigan–based company that designs and manufactures high-performance superchargers and components for Top Fuel, Pro Mod, and blown alcohol engines. In Darren’s world, one standard drives everything: parts have to look as good as they run. If it doesn’t perform on the track and look like jewelry on the engine stand, it doesn’t leave his shop.

 

Born in Middlesbrough, England in 1966, Darren immigrated to the United States with his mother and was later adopted by his stepfather, Don Mayer. Fascinated by speed, machinery, and problem-solving from an early age, he went on to study at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University before transferring to Western Michigan University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Aircraft Engineering. That foundation in aerodynamics, structures, and precision engineering still shows up in every rotor profile and case design he works on today.

 

From Sales Engineer to Supercharger Designer

In 1995, Darren joined Kobelco as a sales engineer. It didn’t take long for him to move from selling hardware to designing it. During his time there, he created the original “Superman” blower, a supercharger that helped reset the bar for Pro Mod and doorslammer performance.

 

The impact came quickly. In 1999, Darren’s Superman blower with the new K11 rotor profile powered Johnny Rocca’s “IRONHORSE”1949 Mercury to the IHRA Pro Mod E.T. world record of 6.227 seconds at Maryland International Raceway. A few years later, in 2003, Mitch Stott became the first Pro Mod driver to run in the 5-second zone using Darren’s Superman blower—breaking one of the biggest barriers in doorslammer drag racing.

 

Around 1997, Darren also designed his first Top Fuel supercharger while still at Kobelco. That blower was tested on the Team Winston Top Fuel dragster with legendary tuner Alan Johnson, helping lay the groundwork for the level of Top Fuel performance Darren would later pursue under his own banner.

 

Founding DMPE Inc.

In 2003, Darren left Kobelco to launch his own company, DMPE Inc., officially incorporated on September 1, 2003. What began as a small, intensely engineering-driven operation has grown into a recognized leader in supercharger technology for professional drag racing.

 

From day one, DMPE has focused on rotor geometry, case design, air management, and durability under extreme conditions. Darren taught himself much of the manufacturing side—CNC programming, fixturing, process control, and quality assurance—and leaned on mentors like Ron Bohn and Jerry Bowles to turn ambitious ideas into precise, repeatable parts.

 

Championships and Results

Over the course of his career, Darren-designed blowers have powered multiple NHRA Top Fuel world champions, including teams that won titles in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024.

 

Those championships, earned in the sport’s most demanding category, are a direct reflection of Darren’s approach: constant development, relentless testing, and zero tolerance for “good enough.”

 

Beyond Top Fuel, DMPE superchargers and components are used across Pro Mod, blown alcohol, and high-horsepower doorslammer programs around the world, continuing the legacy that started with the Superman blower, the IRONHORSE world record, and the first 5-second Pro Mod runs.

 

How Darren Works

Darren remains deeply hands-on in every part of the process:

 

  • Design & Engineering – 3D CAD, rotor and case development, airflow and sealing strategies.

     

  • Manufacturing – CNC programming, tooling, and process optimization to hold tight tolerances on critical parts.

     

  • Testing & R&D – Dyno development, data acquisition, and structured testing to prove designs in real-world conditions.

     

  • Track Support & Tuning – Serving as crew chief on a Pro Mod car, tuning blown alcohol combinations, and working directly with teams at the track.

     

  • Training & Support – Teaching customers how to run, maintain, and tune high-boost supercharged engines for both performance and reliability.

     

Perfection in manufacturing has been a long, self-directed journey. Darren cares as much about how a part looks as he does about the number on the scoreboard. That attention to both form and function has become a defining trait of DMPE parts—and a big reason they are trusted at the highest levels of the sport.

 

Family & the Next Generation

On October 5, 2008, Darren married Julie Smith in New Marske, England. Together they have two children who are both closely connected to the racing and manufacturing world that Darren has built.

 

Their daughter, Olivia “Danger”, was born on January 4, 2010, and has been racing Junior Dragsters since she was seven years old. Growing up around superchargers, race cars, and starting-line calls, she represents the next generation of the family’s connection to drag racing.

 

Their son, Jack Smith, has become an instrumental part of DMPE itself. Jack is actively involved in the day-to-day operation of the business and is learning, step by step, how to design, build, and assemble high-horsepower projects. He will soon be driving a shop-owned Pro Mod car, learning directly from Darren the ins and outs of what it takes to put a complete car together and make it competitive.

 

Today

Today, DMPE Inc. continues to operate out of Stevensville, Michigan, supplying superchargers, billet cases, and related components to some of the quickest and fastest cars in the world. Darren still leads the company’s design, CNC, and R&D efforts, supports racers at the track, and mentors the next wave of engineers, machinists, and tuners—both in the shop and in his own family.

 

Whether it’s a Top Fuel dragster battling for a world championship, a Pro Mod chasing the next barrier, or a serious sportsman racer stepping into blown power for the first time, chances are good that if the car is running a DMPE blower, Darren has had his hands on it—and he’s already thinking about how to make the next version even better.