So he entered the richest, most challenging and completely remote off-road race in the Southern Hemisphere - the Finke Desert Race.

Each year the race attracts 500 of Australia's best off-road riders, and more than a quarter never finish.

Wellman headed to the Northern Territory this month for his second try at the two-day challenge, but a bad crash saw him pull out of the second day.

The aptly named desert race goes from Alice Springs to Finke, a small Aboriginal town, and back.

"There is a lot of sand and rock, and it is about 240 kilometres each way," Wellman said.

"In the start of the race from Alice Springs I was running about 35th in the field when I crashed at the 180-kilometre mark."

Wellman was knocked unconscious momentarily and hurt his back and bruised his kidney.

Despite his injuries he completed the remaining 50 kilometres of the course to arrive at Finke in 107th position.

With the arrival of day two of the race, it was clear Wellman would not be making the return leg to Alice due to his injuries, and withdrew from the race.

"That was pretty disappointing, to be doing quite well but I was too sore the next day to make the return trip."

"On average about 180 wouldn't finish this race."

Wellman, 30, has been riding motorbikes in Tasmania for 21 years and said desert racing was attracting many elite riders.

"The attraction is the challenge, it is a really high-speed event with bikes racing up to 180 kilometres an hour and in that terrain there are a lot of crashes," he said.

He had the support of Launceston business owner Leigh Breen for the trip and said the sponsorship made his attempt possible.

"I have done a lot of motocross and endurance racing in Tasmania, I just wanted to try something different and desert racing was a bit more exciting and fast-paced," he said.

Also from Launceston, Hayden Tatnell made the trip north to debut his buggy in the car category of the Finke Desert Race.

Tatnell managed to finish the event in 10th place outright and seventh in his class.

Wellman's next desert jaunt will be at the Hattah Desert Race in Mildura.