OBJECTIVE

To cross the finish line in Dallas, Texas, as the Team with the highest Total Score at the end of the Tweet Race.

CONTESTANTS

Contestants are divided into four Teams — Team S, Team E, Team GL, and Team CL — that each comprise a Driver and a Co-driver. Teams are assigned a Starting Line, a Twitter-fueled Mercedes-Benz and a Twitter-savvy Team Coach.

STARTING LINE

Teams have selected one of four starting points — New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Tampa — in an order determined by a random drawing. Routes are adjusted to avoid any unfair advantage.

VEHICLES

• Team CL - CL550 4MATIC Coupe
• Team E - E550 Cabriolet
• Team GL - GL350 BlueTEC SUV
• Team S - S400 HYBRID Sedan

PRIZES

• WINNERS

  Both the Driver and Co-driver of the winning Team will receive an all-new 2012 C-Class Coupe.

• TEAM VIP

  One registered and active member of the winning Team -- as decided by random drawing -- wins a VIP trip for two to a Mercedes-Benz event of their choice: the 2011 US Open Tennis Championships, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in September 2011 or the 2011 PGA Championship.

• MVTs

  Twenty MVT (Most Valuable Tweeter) awards will be given at race's end to those individuals who -- in the estimation of the Race Director and Teams -- provided the most plentiful, premium and timely Tweets during the competition. All MVTs win an exclusive Mercedes-Benz luggage set.

TEAM COACHES

Each Team has been assigned a Twitter-savvy Team Coach to help rally support for their Tweet Race campaign. Mercedes-Benz USA will donate $25K to each Team Coach's charity of choice -- and another $20K to the charity of the coach whose team wins the Tweet Race.

• Team CL - Rev Run – Lower Eastside Service Center
• Team E - Nick Swisher – The Nick Swisher "Swish's Wishes" Foundation
• Team GL - Serena Williams – The Serena Williams Foundation
• Team S - Pete Wentz – St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

RACE DIRECTOR

The Race Director is responsible for assigning Challenges, verifying their completion and ensuring that racing is conducted in accordance with the Rules. In addition, the Race Director communicates with Teams, Team Coaches and Supporters by sending updates directly from Race Headquarters via the Twitter account @MBtweetraceHQ

TWEET FUEL

One unit of Tweet Fuel is generated for a Team anytime:

1. the Team hashtag is used in a tweet
2. the Driver's handle is used in a tweet
3. a retweet includes the Team hashtag or Driver's handle

Fulfillment of all the requirements above (for example, a retweet containing the Team hashtag and the Driver's handle) would earn a total of three points.

CONSUMING TWEET FUEL

Teams must generate a constant flow of Tweets -- or Tweet Fuel -- to keep the vehicle moving. If a Team runs out of Tweet Fuel during the race, they must pull over and work with their online Supporters to generate enough Tweets to continue on their way.

TWEET TANK

The Tweet Tank holds a total of 12,000 Tweet Fuel units. The amount of Tweet Fuel a team currently has in its Tweet Tank is indicated in real time by a Tweet Gauge in the vehicle as well as on the official Tweet Race website.

FUEL-DRAINER

At any time during the race, Teams may experience a Fuel-Drainer -- during which their vehicles will consume Tweet Fuel at twice the normal rate for the next hour. In response, Teams will have to rally Supporters to ensure they maintain an adequate level of Tweet Fuel.

SCORING POINTS

Teams have three ways to score Points:

1. CHALLENGES

   By completing various Challenges en route to Dallas with the help of their online Supporters, Teams will earn pre-determined numbers of Points.

2. UNUSED FUEL

   All Tweet Fuel units left in the Tweet Tank when a Team checks in at the end of a Race Day will be tallied as points—at a one-to-one ratio—and added to the Total Score. Once tallied as Points and added to the Total Score, Tweet Fuel cannot be converted back into fuel.

3. OVER-CAPACITY

   If a Team's Tweet Tank is full at any time during the race, all Tweet Fuel units generated while the Tweet Tank is at full capacity will be tallied as Points.

RACE DAYS

The competition will be divided into three legs, or Race Days. Race Days will start at 8:00 am and finish at 10:00 pm based on the current location of the Teams. Teams will begin and end each Race Day at a pre-determined location and time. Before the Race Day begins, they will be issued an "all-day" Challenge to complete during that Race Day.

ROUTES

Teams are responsible for plotting the best route to the Check-in location for each Race Day using their Supporters' advice via Twitter.

START OF RACE DAY – WARMING UP

Teams will have 30 minutes before the Race Day begins to generate the Tweet Fuel necessary to get the vehicle moving. Once a Team is ready, they may start driving at any time after the Race Day start time.

END OF RACE DAY - CHECK-IN

Teams will have a set time to reach their Check-in location. Upon arrival, Drivers must post a picture of the Check-in location and inform the Race Director with an @reply.

OVERNIGHT

Teams may stay at any hotel no farther than 20 miles from the Check-in location. Once they have arrived and secured a room, Drivers must inform the Race Director of their chosen hotel.

OVERNIGHT TWEETING

Between Check-in and the official start of the next Race Day, Tweets will not count toward Tweet Fuel or Points, even if they contain a Team's hashtag.

RACE DAY SCORE

After the Race Director confirms a Check-in, that Team's remaining Tweet Fuel is tallied along with Points earned from completing challenges throughout the Race Day. The total represents the Race Day Score for that Team.

CHALLENGES

As Teams make their way to Dallas, they will be issued Challenges to complete. Challenges will consist of a task and a time limit on completing it. While all Challenges are optional, their completion will earn Teams points toward their Total Score.

Challenges will also be issued at the beginning of the Race Day to the Teams' Supporters, allowing them to earn Points even when not on the road. Once a Challenge has been completed, the Race Director will notify the Teams and their Supporters via Twitter.

PENALTIES

1. SPEEDING

   Any Team caught speeding will receive a 50% Tweet Fuel Penalty for each offense.

2. TICKETS

   If a ticket is issued by local law enforcement, the offending Team will receive a 50% Tweet Fuel Penalty.

3. FAILING TO ANSWER

   If a Team fails to acknowledge a communication from the Race Director within one hour, they will receive a 10% Tweet Fuel Penalty. After the third offense, the severity will increase to a 20% Tweet Fuel Penalty for each offense thereafter.

4. LATE CHECK-IN

   If a Team misses the Check-in deadline, they will receive a 25% Fuel Penalty. The Team will continue to consume the remaining Tweet Fuel at the normal rate until they reach the Check-in location.

FINAL SCORE

The points scored over the three Race Days will be tallied to give each Team a Total Score. The Team with the highest Total Score will be declared the winner of the Tweet Race.

The Goal

- Score more points than the other teams on the way to Dallas.

The Contestants

- Four teams, each consisting of a Driver and a Co-Driver.

The Starting Lines

- New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Tampa

The Fuel

- Your Tweets

The more you tweet for your team, the more you'll push them to the finish line to take home the grand prize: a pair of 2012 C-Class Coupes. Follow the Race Director and the Drivers to get the latest updates on the race. Monitor your team's tweets to find out how you can help them complete challenges and score points.

Teams will be assigned Twitter-savvy Team Coaches for extra horsepower. In return, Mercedes-Benz USA will donate $25K to each Team Coach's charity of choice -- and another $20K to the charity of the coach whose team wins.

If you joined a team before the race and your team emerges victorious, you could win a VIP trip for two to a Mercedes-Benz sponsored event of your choice -- the 2011 US Open, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in September 2011 or the 2011 PGA Championship.

And, if at the end of the race, the teams or the Race Director select you among the 20 MVT (Most Valuable Tweeters) who provided the most plentiful, premium and timely Tweets, you'll take home an exclusive Mercedes-Benz luggage set.

Ongoing

These challenges are active throughout the entire race.

1 America's Game

On your way to witnessing football's biggest game, pay homage to the sport and stop by local high school, college, or pro-football stadiums. Snap a photo yourself or your Co-Driver in these football settings. Every photo tweeted from now until the Finish Line earns 50 Bonus Points each.

2 City Limits

You'll be seeing your fair share of city-limit signs during your cross-country journey to Dallas. Pose alongside one of these signs and earn 200 Bonus Points for each photo tweeted until the Finish Line. State-line signs earn 300 Bonus Points.

3 Meet The Family

Many a road trip is spent visiting family, and that certainly goes for members of the Mercedes-Benz family of vehicles. When you come across another Mercedes-Benz vehicle, snap a photo. Every photo tweeted from now until the Finish Line with your team hashtag and challenge hashtag #MBFAMILY earns 50 Bonus Points each. You'll earn additional Bonus Points for every photo of a vehicle off our three-tiered "lookbook" list, representing 125 years of Mercedes-Benz heritage.

4 On the Lot

Every Mercedes-Benz owner begins their journey at a Mercedes-Benz dealership. Photograph yourself or your Co-Driver at any Mercedes-Benz dealership along the way and earn 100 Bonus Points for each tweeted photo with team hashtag and challenge hashtag #ONTHELOT.

5 Sign Language

Both football teams in the Big Game will have their fans out in droves, bearing homemade signs of team pride. Your own supporters can follow suit, virtually. Ask them to tweet photos of encouraging messages to you and your Co-Driver with team hashtag and challenge hashtag #SIGN. The team with the most photos from now until Check-in earns 3,000 Bonus Points.

6 Spot the Driver

A Mercedes-Benz vehicle always makes a statement on the road. Catch the eye of a discerning supporter and maybe you'll find yourself in their tweet album. Every tweeted photo of your team vehicle from now until the Finish Line with your team hashtag and challenge hashtag #DRVR earns 100 Bonus Points.

Daily

Time specific challenges issued by the Race Director during the course of each day

7 Acting Up

Open your Mercedes-Benz driver's manual to any page and record yourself or your Co-Driver acting out what's written or illustrated. Tweet the video and collect 200 retweets before Check-in and earn 1,000 Bonus Points.

8 Ad Agent

By now, you're familiar with the unique features and luxurious details of your Mercedes-Benz vehicle. But do you know them well enough to sell? Drive to a nearby Mercedes-Benz dealership and record a 60-second commercial for your vehicle. Ask one of our Mercedes-Benz professionals to help you with your pitch. Tweet your video by Check-in to earn 3,000 Bonus Points.

9 Avatar

Supporters are tasked with replacing their Twitter avatar with yours. Upon changing their picture, they must tweet your team hashtag and challenge hashtag #AVTR to qualify for the challenge. Each combination of tweet and team avatar posted before Check-in earns 5 Bonus Points.

10 END-ZONE SHUFFLE

Your endzone: Dallas. Show those pros how it's done and record your best touchdown dance. Tweet your video and collect 200 retweets before Check-in to earn 2,000 Bonus Points.

11 FASHION WEEK

As a long-time sponsor of Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz has always been associated with style and innovation. Prep and photograph your vehicle for a fashion shoot worthy of the pages of Vogue. Collect a cumulative 200 photo retweets by Check-in and earn 2,000 Bonus Points.

12 GOOD CAUSE

Lend your newfound fame to a good cause. Your Team Coach is sharing their starpower to help spread awareness for a special charitable organization. Tweet a link for people to donate their time or money to the cause. Collect 200 retweets before Check-in and earn 3,000 Bonus Points. Details about your charitable organization can be found on the next page.

13 GRAND MARSHAL

Everyone loves a good parade! Lead a procession of five other Mercedes-Benz vehicles and tweet the video via Yfrog. Collect 500 Likes before Check-in and earn 3,000 Bonus Points. Earn an additional 500 Bonus Points for every Mercedes-Benz vehicle included beyond the required five.

14 I'm Here

With over 350 dealerships across the country, Mercedes-Benz is always close to home. Supporters are tasked with finding their nearest Mercedes-Benz dealer and tweeting a photo with both your team hashtag and challenge hashtag #DLER. Photos must include signage with your team name and clear dealership signage for proof of location. Every photo tweeted before your team arrives at Check-in earns 25 Bonus Points each.

15 I Spy

We spy, with our little eye, something over 50-feet tall. Be the first to capture it with your camera and tweet the photo to earn 3,000 Bonus Points. Don't give up, because the last team loses 1,000 Points.

16 In The Wild

The Mercedes-Benz logo is the one of the most recognizable symbols in the world. But how often do you find it in nature? Find the Mercedes-Benz logo in a natural setting — or create it using nature's resources — and snap a photo. The first team to tweet their photo with their team hashtag and challenge hashtag #MBLOGO earns 1,000 Bonus Points. Collect the most yfrog photo Likes by the end of all team Check-ins and earn 3,000 Bonus Points. If you don’t complete the Challenge before Check-in, lose 1,000 Bonus Points.

17 MBRACE THE RACE

Discover the home of the new-generation M-Class, R-Class, and GL-Class with the help of mbrace, your in-vehicle concierge. Upon pressing the i-Button on your dashboard, connect with an mbrace Customer Specialist to ask for directions to the nearest Mercedes-Benz USA Assembly Plant. Upon reaching your destination, tweet a photo and get 200 retweets before Check-in to earn 1,000 Bonus Points.

18 MEET 'N' TWEET

It takes 25 people to make a genuine Tweetup, and we're calling on you to organize one for Mercedes-Benz. Ask your supporters to meet up at a nearby Mercedes-Benz dealership and pose for a group photo. Tweet the photo before arriving at Check-in and earn 3,000 Bonus Points.

19 ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Take a moment to admire your surroundings and tweet some of your best scenic photography. Collect a total of 200 photo retweets before reaching Check-in and earn 2,000 Bonus Points.

20 SCAVENGER HUNT

You know you can count on your supporters for tweets, but now you'll need to rely on their collective photographic eye. The following list contains items significant to the American heritage of Mercedes-Benz. Ask your supporters to locate and tweet a photo of everything on the list with your team hashtag and challenge hashtag #MBHUNT before Check-in and earn 500 Bonus Points for each item. To up the stakes, 3,000 additional Bonus Points will be awarded to the team who successfully finds all items first. Second-place earns 1,000 additional Bonus Points. Items will be emailed to you upon issuing the Challenge.

21 5-7-5

Twitter's 140 characters offer the perfect outlet for expressing your Mercedes-Benz love — via haiku. Tweet haikus themed around the exciting lineup of 2011 Mercedes-Benz vehicles. With the help of your supporters, collect 150 haikus with your team hashtag and challenge hashtag #mbhaiku by Check-In and earn 2,000 Bonus Points.

22 99 TWEETS

Nothing says "road trip" like a lively sing-along. Engage your supporters in some tweet-singing by tweeting out the beginning of the familiar "99 Bottles" song, but replacing "bottles" with your ideal "gallons of fuel." Choose your number carefully, as a successful countdown to zero through the teamwork of your supporters earns that starting amount of Bonus Points x50. Qualifying tweets must be include your team hashtag, and be published within one hour of your initiating tweet.

By Team

Click on a team badge to view challenge related tweets.

• Team S
• Team GL
• Team E
• Team CL