Tony Wise to make 20th Kidney Kar Rally his last as a competitor

Mr Wise will take on the 2021 Kidney Kar Rally alongside long-time co-driver Alex Mueller, with the pair set to traverse a unique 4000-kilometre trail from Mudgee to Young via Swan Hill in northwestern Victoria from August 14 to 21.

But after the event, he will retire from competing, after representing 'The Renal Failures' [his rally team] in every event since 2000.

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"I'm excited, but also sad, it's going to be hard to say farewell to competing in the rally," Mr Wise said.

"It's [20 years] a long time, and each year requires a significant amount of time and effort to prepare the car for the rally, so I'm looking forward to a well-earned break."

Mr Wise said his beloved 'number 10 1/2' Holden VK Commodore undergoes a significant mechanical service each year to ensure the vehicle is 'rally ready'.

"A lot of hard work is involved, it's not simply a matter of changing the spark plugs and oil," he said.

"The suspension always needs to be finely tuned, and sometimes larger parts need to be replaced."

"A few years ago, I had to change all the lights, and it took me ages to find two working headlights, as it's hard to source parts for an early model VK Commodore these days; it can take weeks and weeks to get the car ready."

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Mr Wise's involvement in the rally has taken him right across the country, from metropolitan areas to the most remote outback properties and everywhere in between.

"I've driven from every capital city in Australia [including Hobart in Tasmania], to eventually wind up back in Bathurst post-rally," he said.

"The rally often takes you off-road through remote paddocks, and it's an exercise that heavily relies on sticking closely to the route you're given, right down to the metre."

"We've had quite a few close calls with accidents over the years...the main one that comes to mind was actually close to home [Sunny Corner], where we left the road and went straight into a ditch, we were lucky we didn't roll the car."

Mr Wise has crossed the finish line for 17 of the 19 rallies he has attempted, and his most memorable journey was Darwin to Dubbo.

"We came third [or fourth] outright, but the most memorable aspect of that particular rally was the adventure," he said.

"In the Northern Territory, we were going along the highway at 150 kilometres an hour, and you'd still get four-wheel drives overtaking you."

"You really gain an understanding of how empty Australia truly is, except for the animals...we saw thousands of kangaroos on that rally."

Throughout his rally tenure, Mr Wise and Mr Mueller have received immense support from Robinson Auto Repairs through car repairs and sponsorship, and owner Dave Robinson [who has been involved in the rally as an official for a number of years] said it's always been a pleasure to support their worthwhile cause.

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"The rally gives children affected by kidney disease the opportunity to go on vacation away from the normal treatment routine, so I've always been happy to support Tony and Alex," Mr Robinson said.

While Mr Wise is looking forward to retiring, he's a fan of the 'never say never' sentiment, and will consider returning as an official.

"The fundraising has always been the heart of this rally, and the hard yards have always been worth it to make a difference to the lives of children suffering major health setbacks," he said.

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