By John RittenhouseA Luverne driver was proclaimed the winner of a rain-shortened Enduro Race at the Rock County Fairgrounds in Luverne Saturday.Greg Vande Velde, one of three drivers to complete 71 laps before heavy rain sent race fans searching for cover one hour into the event, was tabbed the 2004 champion of the event.Vande Velde completed his 71 laps in less time than Edgerton’s Heath Petersen and Ellsworth’s Adam Jenniges, drivers who also lapped the track 71 times before rain stopped the race.When it became evident that the weather would persist, Vande Velde was declared the event champion."We ran the race for one hour, then we got rained out," said event chairman Burdette Braun. "With the race being halfway finished, we decided to call it complete."The Enduro Race usually runs under a 200-lap, two-hour time limit, whichever comes first.With a field of 67 cars on the track to start the race, it was clear that it would be next to impossible for a driver to complete laps. When rain doused the 1,111 fans who paid to watch the race in the grandstand, as well as the 200-plus people who were in the pits, reaching the race’s two-hour time limit was washed out of the equation.Since Vande Velde completed his 71 laps seconds ahead of Petersen and Jenniges, who placed second and third respectively, the Luverne driver was awarded the top cash prize.The race ended up being a good one for Luverne drivers, who occupied eight of the 13 places that drew cash rewards at the end of the event.St. Paul’s Nathan Hoag completed 70 laps to place fourth overall, while Magnolia’s Jason DeBeer and Luverne’s Justin Mann both completed 69 laps. Based on times, DeBeer finished fifth and Mann sixth in the field.Luverne’s Ron Fick and Lon Remme both completed 68 laps, with Fick being awarded seventh place and Remme finishing eighth.Luverne’s Travis Van Santen, Tom Walker, Blair Nattress and Jeff Van Santen and Beaver Creek’s Matt Sandbulte all completed 67 laps to round out the top 13 finishers.Travis Van Santen finished ninth, Walker 10th, Nattress 11th, Sandbulte 12th and Jeff Van Santen 13th.Walker and Travis Van Santen missed out on bonus cash prizes that were being offered by Tri-State Auto Sales Saturday. Walker and Van Santen, who placed first and second at the Pre-Fair Enduro Race earlier in July, needed to finish first, second or third to earn bonus cash Saturday.Braun said fans of the event were short-changed by the weather."I really feel bad for the fans because they only got to watch one hour of racing. But, what can you do? We had a really good turnout of fans and drivers. Hopefully, we’ll have better weather next year," he said.