Only a few days have passed since the closing chapter of the 2011 Endurocross season, but Geoff Aaron is already looking ahead to 2012, hoping to show everyone he has the talent to run at the front. In this week’s Wednesday Wrench, he dishes on his season - the ups and the downs- and what he has planned in the coming months.

First off, how have your first few days off the Endurocross season been? Have you just been relaxing or are you still busy as ever?
So far so good. We had a great time in Vegas after the races. Now we are in San Diego with some friends and taking the kids to the zoo, etc. We’re just relaxing for a few days. Next stop is Ocotillo Wells for Thanksgiving, camping and more riding then off to a Hot Wheels TV commercial shoot on the 29th - 30th. So a little mix of everything business and pleasure.

I haven’t interviewed you since the start of the season- you were still getting a hang of the new Honda. At the end of the year, did you feel like you had it figured it out?
Honestly, we have a great motocross CRF platform to work with but for Endurocross I feel we still have a lot of work to do. We need to step up our game with both the bike and rider.

At the end of the 2011 Endurocross season, how would you sum up how it went?
2011 was not my best season. I feel like I put in more time and effort than ever before but it didn't seem to reflect in my results. Top 5 is a solid first year performance on the Honda but I know I'm capable of more. Inconsistent would sum it up with one word.

You and Taddy have been competiting against each other for years now. What was it like competing against him this year?
Unfortunately for the competition, Taddy was in his own league this year. I never really even got to battle with him. It seemed that the harder I pushed the more problems I had and Taddy just did everything right. A perfect season in Endurocross is incredible. I'm sure I'm not the only one left scratching their head right now.

What do you think you were the most successful with this year?
I was successful at making main events. Does that count for anything?

Of course! Did you feel like you were still struggling with anything in particular as the season went on?
The biggest thing I struggled with this season was comfort. More specifically front end grip. Stalling was an issue at the beginning of the season. My starts were also mediocre. Lack of comfort mixed with a little bad luck limited me from fighting for wins. There were little flashes of speed but overall I felt a bit awkward this year.

What was your best race, in your opinion, this year?
My best performance this season was Denver. I finished in second place but it was really the only race where I felt solid in the main event. We had also just recently made some new adjustments to the bike and it was an improvement. I was feeling positive about the upcoming races and felt like I was finally making progress. Overall, I had 3 podiums, a few good hot laps and lead nearly half the race at X-Games. Those were the 2011 highlights for Geoff Aaron.

I know things aren’t settled for next season- but are you thinking about it yet?
I'm excited about 2012. It's all I can think about right now! I feel like its time to do our homework and get prepared. It will be nice to start again with a clean slate and I want to come out and show everyone I have the talent to run at the front.

Is there anything you’ll do differently for next season starting right now?
Once we have a new deal in place I hope to immediately begin building new race bikes and start testing. I want the bike perfect. Some of our issues this year can easily be resolved. I also want to improve my fitness. Thanks to Cannondale I plan to pedal more. My work ethic is strong and will put in the sweat hours it takes to be ready for 2012.

How’s the family doing? I peeped on your facebook, your kids are too darn cute!
Life is great right now. I have an awesome family and I'm still making a living doing something I'm passionate about. I couldn't ask for anything more (except possibly an Endurocross championship or X-Games Gold!).

What’s it like managing kids and career for you? Especially when you get to be in the spotlight so much.
I couldn't do all this without the support of my wife, Kerry. She comes from a moto competition background herself and understands the dedication it takes to be successful. We have a system in place that works pretty well. The travel schedule is tough sometimes but we juggle our responsibilities and get it done. These opportunities don't last forever and we don't want any regrets so we both work hard.