When you run inconsistently, the best you can do is run inconsistently.

 That's pretty much what locals Bobby Gerhart and Kyle Martel have been up against this season when it comes to racing on the ARCA stock-car circuit. Although they have been relatively competitive when they've been on the track, Gerhart and Martel have encountered difficulties finding their grooves against teams which are running every event.

 Gerhart, for example, has started five of the ARCA circuit's ten races this season and currently stands 23rd in owner points. With just two 2010 starts under his belt, Martel is 43rd in the points race.

 "It puts us behind the eight-ball," said Gerhart of his limited schedule. "They're (ARCA regulars) in the driver's seat. We end up losing a little practice time. Each year, practice time seems to be getting shorter. We have less and less time to do more and more."

 "They (the regulars) get to race every other weekend," said Martel. "We race sporadically. We're always at a disadvantage."

 What Gerhart and Martel also share is a shortage of funds caused by a lack of major sponsorships. Until the economy rebounds and businesses open their advertising purse strings, things don't figure to change any time soon.

 "I'd like to put myself in position to run for an ARCA championship," said Gerhart, 52. "I'd like to and I'm going to stay active until it happens. It's not just a personal decision. It's an economic decision. We're going to continue on the way we can, until we get added support from a sponsorship.

 Brian Auman and Dan Brown didn't win the championship of the W.B. Sullivan Better-Ball-of-Partners golf tournament on Sunday. Perhaps the only consolation was that they didn't lose it.

 The locals surrendered a two-up advantage over the final two holes of their championship match with Maryland-based Larry Storck and Micky Abrams at the Lebanon Country Club. The match was suspended because of darkness, after Storck missed a potential title-winning birdie putt on the first playoff hole.

 The match will be picked up at that point - on the tee of LCC's 507-yard, par-five second hole - tentatively Saturday at 6 p.m. The start of Sunday's final match in the championship flight was pushed back 90 minutes by an earlier thunderstorm.

 "We shouldn't even be out here talking," said Auman. "We got lucky on 16 and didn't give that one away. But then we just had to make pars. We had to make them make birdies."

 "We played solid up to that point," said Brown.

 Brown made a nice par-save to halve 16 and keep his team's advantage at two holes. But with Brown out of the hole, Auman three-putted the par-four 17th and suddenly their lead was down to one.

 A great approach shot by Abrams at 18 led to a birdie and bonus golf.

 "Obviously their par on 17 was the key," said Brown.

 "We gave it away on 17 with a bogey," said Auman. "You can't lose a hole to a par. You don't three-putt. That was on my shoulders."