BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Graham Rahal helped Birmingham Zoo officials announce a special deal for ticket-holders for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.

Any ticket-holder for the April 5-7 event at Barber Motorsports Park will get two free child admissions to the zoo. The deal will be honored through April 30.

“We started a program like this at Mid-Ohio (in 2012) with the Columbus Zoo and Honda was a big supporter of that,” said Rahal, who was joined by one of the zoo’s ambassadors, a serval name Sarabi.

“Growing up near one of the premiere zoos in the country, it was a lot of fun for me. I always loved going to see the animals. We’re going to carry on that program here and hopefully at other zoos around the country.”

Rahal, whose godfather is noted animal expert Jack Hanna, said he wanted to try something in Birmingham because “it’s one of my favorite places on the (IZOD IndyCar Series) schedule. If we can do something to help get people to come to Barber or to the zoo  to see some of these animals, it would be really cool.”

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